Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Turkish Maarif Foundation signed a cooperation protocol on September 22nd, 2017 Friday in the field of "Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language". Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş said that the voice of Turkey will be heard in a much broader geography through this cooperation.

The president of Maarif Foundation Dr. Birol Akgün who expressed that they regard Yunus Emre Enstitüsü centres in nearly 60 countries of the world, as their own home, said, "As Maarif Foundation, we carry out Turkey's non-formal education abroad, we join forces with Yunus Emre Enstitüsü again working in the field of non-formal education abroad. We will transform our experience into better services.”

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü (YEE), operates all around the world to promote Turkish language, culture and art, and Turkish Maarif Foundation have established collaboration in the field of "Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language". Cooperation protocol was signed at Yunus Emre Enstitüsü in Ulus, Ankara, by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş and President of Turkish Maarif Foundation Prof. Dr. Birol Akgün. Within the framework of the protocol; Turkish Maarif Foundation will contribute to all kinds of educational and cultural activities carried out in Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers and their agencies established abroad by YEE, and in affiliated institutions and organizations, within the bounds of possibility. Foundation will provide support to teachers and publicity as well as allowing YEE personnel to benefit from all types of educational, accommodation, social, cultural and sports opportunities provided to Maarif Foundation staff.

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş who spoke after the signing ceremony, said that both Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Maarif Foundation are important institutions and  foundations that operate abroad on behalf of Turkish Republic of Turkey. Marking that Turkey shares all its accumulation, language, culture, literature, art, history and modern acquisitons with the world through cultural and scientific diplomacy, crucial with regard to international relations, Ateş said, "Yunus Emre Enstitüsü launched its operations abroad in 2009. Maarif Foundation started only a year ago and we have great accomplishments in representing Turkey with schools established in numerous countries of the world. The state institutions of Turkish Republic need to collaborate abroad, especially for cultural activities."

"This collaboration is a strong response to Fetullah Terrorist Organization"

Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş continued as follows: "This comprehensive agreement which envisions collaboration in a number of fields, is of great importance because the voice of Turkey will be heard over a broader geography through cooperation of Maarif Foundation and the Yunus Emre Enstitüsü. It is an important protocol not only for topics as education materials, language instruction system, personnel training, but most importantly for representation of Turkish Republic. Yunus Emre or Maarif, whichever is active or established earlier, will assist the other and they will act in unison in all countries. This protocol is also a strong response especially to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) which claimed to represent Turkey abroad for years. There has been intense efforts in Turkey since July 15th. This organization has completely been suppressed in Turkey. Those responsible or affiliated have been arrested but they travel freely abroad and still continue to claim that they represent Turkey in some international gatherings. Our state has invariably been under attack, but it has recovered after each attack. And due action is taken after recovery.”

Costs will Reduce

Stressing that these two institutions will work together from now on, especially in education, culture, art and representation of Turkish Republic, President Ateş stated the following: "These signatures are of great value for representing Turkey much more strongly, for making Turkish popular as a language of science, and for enabling people who are familiar with Turkish culture particularly in regions in Turkey's periphery, to receive education in schools that reflect Turkish civilization.They cannot work individually. We have to use every penny from the state, economically. Collaborations will reduce costs, facilitate business and accelerate activities. I thank the head of Maarif Foundation Prof. Dr. Birol Akgün for cooperating with us without an agreement. This cooperation protocol will considerably facilitate the operations of both Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Maarif Foundation staffs around the world. I also thank President Birol Akgül for the protocol.”

“We regard Enstitü centres as our own home”

Maarif Foundation President Prof. Dr. Birol Akgün spoke as follows: "I would like to thank our host, Yunus Emre Enstitüsü before you. As addressed by our professor Mr. Şeref Ateş, we have actually been working very closely with Yunus Emre Enstitüsü since establishment. We regard all Enstitü centres abroad as our own home. Everywhere we go, we make sure to visit them and we benefit from the experience of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü there. In this sense, we are a younger Foundation. We are an institution of Turkish Republic, assigned specifically to formal education abroad. Yunus Emre Enstitüsü, on the other hand, is an institution that works on non-formal education. This is experience and it needs to be integrated and transformed into better service.”

“2018 will be the year of breakthrough”

Marking that the protocol signed will lay the foundations for a strong strategic cooperation of the two institutions abroad, Akgün said: "Both institutions will be stronger abroad and will help each other more from now on. Both are public institutions, public entities which utilize the resources of Turkey and in a sense, they represent Turkey in terms of culture and science abroad. Fortunately, our Yunus Emre Enstitüsü centres have successfully carried out this mission to date. We have entered the field fast within the last year and now we have agencies in more than 30 countries. There is a number of schools we have very recently opened. The next year will be a year of breakthrough in a sense. In this context, we will host where we are active, and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü will be the host in the countries they are operational in.”

“We will join our energy and opportunities”

Stating that they will join their forces and means, Akgün said: "This is a struggle, a question of survival of Turkey. We will continue as the followers of our internal problems we face in the international arena. Some segments which were believed to represent Turkey's cultural diplomacy abroad until now, unfortunately work against Turkey today. A different anti-Turkey lobby has emerged. Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Turkish Maarif Foundation both of which are established with Turkey's own means and offer services transparently, will join forces against both old and the new anti-Turkey lobbies. We are not the only ones cooperating; we also collaborate with other institutions like TIKA and YTB which are active abroad. Thanks to collaborations with these institutions, we will all achieve better quality and get faster results from field operations.”