Sarajevo Yunus Emre Enstitüsü realised Sister Schools Material Distribution Program under My Preference Turkish Project that has been carried out since 2009 as part of the efforts to make Turkish language more widespread in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In this context, 150 smart boards, 300 projectors, 500 whiteboards and 10 laptops were donated to 130 schools in Bosnia- Herzegovina where Turkish is taught as a foreign language.

Event held in Turkish Embassy to Sarajevo was attended by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, Vice Minister of National Education Orhan Erdem, Sarajevo Ambassador Cihad Erginay, Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation Minister of Education and Science Elvira Dilberovi?, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Ömer Faruk Yelkenci, ministers of education and science from various cantons, mayors and principals of 130 schools where Turkish is taught as a foreign language.

Event took start with the opening speech by Enstitü Director Mehmet Akif Yaman and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, Sarajevo Ambassador Cihad Erginay, Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation Minister of Education and Science Elvira Dilberovi?, İstanbul Provincial National Education Director Ömer Faruk Yelkenci and Vice Minister of National Education Orhan Erdem made speeches.

"The support we give to education will be continued"

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş expressed in his speech that support they provide for Turkish instruction in Bosnia-Herzegovina will continue increasingly and stated that every young person learning Turkish undertakes an important task in keeping the shared culture alive.

Prof. Dr. Ateş also spoke of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü's operations and added that Sarajevo Yunus Emre Institute was the first centre established and they carried out major projects in the fields of culture and art, especially in education in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

85 sister schools continue their operations

Minister of Education and Science of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation Elvira Dilberovic began her speech noting that 85 elementary and high schools in Istanbul have sister schools in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and sister schools in Turkey showed an example of fraternity by donating 150 smart boards, 300 projections, 500 whiteboards and 10 laptop computers to improve education quality in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Emphasizing that they wish to implement a standard training program across Bosnia-Herzegovina, Elvira Dilberovic added that Bosnia-Herzegovina needs fundamental reforms and long-term projects in education.

"Bosnian will be offered as an elective course in Istanbul in 2016-2017 education year"

Deputy Minister of National Education Orhan Erdem emphasized that Bosnian will be offered as an elective course in some schools in Istanbul as of 2016-2017 education year as Turkish courses are offered in Bosnia-Herzegovina and they make efforts to learn and teach the language of sister country Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Tripartite protocol signed

Ministry of Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü signed "My Preference Turkish Protocol" to make Turkish education more widespread.

President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş on behalf of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü, Vice Minister of National Education Orhan Erdem on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science, and Minister Elvira Dilberovi? on behalf of Ministry of Education and Science of Bosnia- Herzegovina Federation signed the protocol that aims to improve the quality of Turkish education in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Additional Protocol signed with Canton of Una-Sana

An additional protocol was signed between the Una-Sana Canton of Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü for teaching Turkish as a foreign language in schools within the borders of the canton.

The protocol was signed by Una-Sana Canton Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Adis Muharemovic and Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş.

Following protocol speeches and signing ceremony, awards were presented for the Turkish Corner Competition in which schools that offer Turkish as a foreign language participated and 40 schools were placed as 10 schools came out at top.