Stating that Turkish youth abroad should learn at least three foreign languages, one of which is Western and the other Eastern, historian and writer Prof. İlber Ortaylı said ‘’Two languages, three languages give people different personalities; you look at the world differently. It is not possible to go far with the German you learn here or the Turkish you do not learn well.’’

At the conference titled ‘’How Man Builds His Future’’ which was held at the Yunus Emre Institute (YEI) in Vienna, the capital of Austria, Prof. İlber Ortaylı advised young people.

“TURKISH DIASPORA DREW ATTENTION WITH ITS LOW CRIME RATE AND HARDWORKING

Ortaylı said that compared to the USA, Turks had made different progress in Europe, especially in the German-speaking geography, and the Turkish diaspora, which lived there, drew attention with its low crime rate and hardworking.

Pointing out that in defiance of the positive progress Turkish society had made in Europe, the new generation that grew up here had problems learning Turkish, Ortaylı mentioned that especially Turkish literature and art could not be moved here and that the lack of institutions such as Yunus Emre Institute at that time, caused them to be insufficient in this regard.

Ortaylı stated that Turks act in solidarity and an organized manner in Europe, and that this spirit of solidarity was not only directed at them but also encompassed minorities who need help from different religions and ethnicities, as well as other Muslim communities and that this situation made feel the existence of ‘’an organized group in Europe called Turks’’.

Remarking that Turkish young people who study here should learn a few foreign languages, Ortaylı recommended that young people not be stuck in the region or country they lived in and tended to international platforms.

THE ROLE OF THE DIASPORA IN THE PROMOTION OF TURKEY

Prof. Ortaylı explained that young people who grew up here, who spoke different languages, especially English, and who worked in various sectors, would play a crucial role in promoting Turkey in the world and regulating its relations with the international community.

Underlining that a good level of English was decisive in the international arena, Ortaylı said, ‘’If you do not do this, you will remain within the boundaries of German. Your life may be good, but it is not at the level that your country and the Turkish community expect from you. You have to be an international intellectual.’’

‘’USE THE ADVANTAGES OF DIASPORA’’

Emphasizing that Turks should use the advantages of living in the diaspora, Ortaylı indicated that ‘’People living in the diaspora have an advantage. This is the advantage of learning two or three languages properly from childhood. It is a huge win. Two languages, three languages give people a different personalities, you look at the world differently. It is not possible to go far with the German you learn here or the Turkish you do not learn well.’’

Suggesting young people travel to get to know different cultures and geographies, Ortaylı remarked that one of the most important shortcomings in Turkey was the low number of self-developed intellectuals who knew both the East and the West, and therefore besides Western languages, they also spoke Eastern languages. He also added that it was inevitable to learn a language belonging to the East in addition to Western languages.