The closing event of the contests “I Experience Turkey” and “I Compete in Turkish”, organized as part of the Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Summer School, took place on August 25, 2016 in İstanbul.

In his speech, Yunus Emre Institute Department of Turkish Education Director Kerim Sarıgül thanked all his colleagues and students from various countries for their participation in the seventh edition of the Turkish Summer School.

Sarıgül said that in his eyes, all students of Turkish are now citizens of Turkey, and added:

“You are now both Cairenes and İstanbulites. You are both from Tbilisi and Sakarya. You are now a part of Turkey. You thank us for a variety of reasons, but you are the ones that deserve to be thanked. The program was exhausting at times, but you came to Turkey with great hopes and we hope that you come again. If we could achieve this, lucky us. Our aim is to bring 2,023 students to Turkey on 2023. We will achieve this.”

Display of Talent on Social Media through “I Experience Turkey”

540 international students, all guests of the Turkish Summer School, showed their talent in three categories by sharing photos, videos, and text on social with the hashtag #TürkiyeyiYaşıyorum (#IExperienceTurkey).

The competition was organized online through the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts of Yunus Emre Institute. The aim of the contest was to encourage Yunus Emre Institute Summer School students to share their experiences on Turkish culture, art, history and language; to promote the natural, historical, and cultural beauty of Turkey; to contribute to the visual and literary arts; and to create awareness of the cultural diversity of the Institute in the public opinion.

Every part of the student experience was part of the competition, including social activities like trainings, trips, parties, festivals, and contests organized by the Turkish Summer School, gastronomy, cultural heritage, historical structures, Turkish arts and crafts, and natural beauties of Turkey.

Winners from the 540 international students in the categories of photography, video, and text were named during the event. The prizes went to Egyptian Nora Ahmed in photography, Austrian El Haj-Moustafa Mouhamad in video, and Jordanian Beşair Razmeh in text.

Finale Excitement in “I Compete in Turkish”

Another exciting moment of the evening was the finale of the I Compete in Turkish competition, organized by Sound of Turkish Radio. Students who competed in the Culture Nights in Samsun, Denizli, İzmir, Çanakkale, Bursa, Sakarya, Kocaeli, and Edirne, and gave the highest number of correct answers to questions on Turkish culture, art, history, literature, and grammar met in the Sultanahmet Square in the heart of İstanbul.

The winner of “I Compete in Turkish” was announced in the finale event of the Turkish Summer School. Peter Farkas from Hungary, Fatemeh Rafiei from Iran, Mohammad Barakat from Palestine, Mohammad Yasir from India, and Elnara Mamedoya from Georgia competed for the top spot in the “I Compete in Turkish” finale, which consisted of questions on the history of İstanbul. Mohammad Barakat from Palestine won the contest by answering 8 out of 10 questions correctly. Mohammad Barakat was applauded by all, and said that he spent a very beautiful month in Turkey he would never forget, that he made many new friend from various countries, and saw Turkey as his home. “I Compete in Turkish” closed as all finalists received prizes, and Department of Turkish Education Director Kerim Sarıgül handed the top prize to Mohammad Barakat.