Turkish and German reading days organized by Cologne Yunus Emre Institute within primary schools became traditional. The Institute's reading group was the guest of Michael-Ende Primary School in Cologne. The reading, in Turkish and German, was carried out with the participation of 120 students and teachers.

This year, the Institute carried out a series of reading activities as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the brotherhood of Istanbul and Cologne. Some icons of Istanbul culture were introduced. Betül Sayın's children's book "Mert and Strange Fez - A Journey to the History of İstanbul" was told to primary school students, accompanied by visuals, in the event where 5 different stories about 5 different periods of İstanbul's history were narrated by child heroes who lived at that time. Young talent Mert Aksoylu accompanied the book's chapter transitions with his accordion. The event attracted great interest from students and teachers.

Reading days aim to make children acquire the habit of reading and keep language diversity alive in schools. The programs are observed to increase the self-confidence of students of Turkish origin in schools. They help to get closer to Turkish culture. The teachers of the school expressed that they liked this meaningful activity of Yunus Emre Institute.

The Institute will continue its cultural and artistic activities at schools in and around Cologne throughout the year. If you want to carry out cultural activities such as bilingual reading or marbling art at your school, you can contact us at koln@yee.org.tr.