President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who participated in Honorary Doctorate Ceremony in Health Sciences University in Üsküdar district of Istanbul, inaugurated Somalia Mogadishu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Health Services Vocational School where Turkish Preparatory training will be provided by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü.

"Health Sciences University Somalia Mogadishu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Health Services Vocational School" established by Turkey in Somalian capital of Mogadishu where Turkish Preparatory Training will be provided by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü's Turkish lecturers, was opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony by connecting to Mogadishu via teleconference from Honorary Doctorate Ceremony by Health Sciences University organized in Üsküdar, Istanbul.

Erdoğan: The primary instruction will be provided by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü

President Erdoğan wished Somalia Mogadishu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Health Services Vocational School launched today to be beneficial, named after him as a great display of appreciation.

Erdoğan said that students accepted to vocational high school in Somalia will receive training from Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and receive preparatory Turkish education, and marked that these students will both learn Turkish and receive quality education and training in health field.

Erdoğan stated that these students will both cater to a great need in Somalia and will be the human resources for collaborations in the health field to last for many years. Reminding that he visited Somalia three times, Erdoğan continued his speech as follows:

"My first visit was during the most troubled times there, and then I had the opportunity to meet with Somalian children and their parents. I can not forget that day. Then we visited again for the inauguration of the hospital and vocational high school we had built in Somalia. In the meantime, there were no roads there. Thank God, we opened roads as well. We also had an airport built and opened it. During my last visit, we opened an embassy in Somalia like no other in the world. We opened a grand embassy complex with a very distinct architecture on 80-acres of land by the sea allocated to us.

“This was very important for us to show the importance we attach to Somalia. Meanwhile some Turkish entrepreneurs, especially those who built and operate the Somalia Airport and later purchased and operated the Port of Mogadishu the same way, demonstrated how important Somalia is for Turkey and Turkish entrepreneurs. Seeing young Somalians when we came in, and their desires and intentions for the future, makes me feel more proud. I believe that after they complete their education here, they will turn to Somalia with a different perspective.”

President Erdoğan addressed the Somalian students as follows: "You will not stay here. Right back to Somalia. Because you will get Somalia back on its feet. This is why Somalia awaits you. You will heal people there.”

Stating that if Somalian doctors carry out their duties in the existing hospital, people of the country will be much more peaceful and happy, Erdoğan said, "When we go there, we will not have to ask if there is anybody who speaks Turkish. Because you already speak Turkish better than we do.”

"Not slightly afraid or worried"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "The aim of those who defy, even insult, the parliament, the state, the nation and the judiciary exploiting immunity, is to put Turkey in a difficult situation in the international arena. I can clearly say that I do not feel even slightly afraid or worried of international attacks.”

Erdoğan spoke at Honorary Doctorate Ceremony at the Health Sciences University and thanked the university administration for the title of honorary doctorate they awarded.

Erdoğan wished the university that started offering education and training last year, a beneficial 2016-2017 academic year and also reminded that this historical building they are in became operational 113 years ago.

Erdoğan expressed that this is a very different venue, and he believed that the university administration will restore this place to its former state. Erdoğan stated that it is a duty to claim what is entrusted and to hand it down to generations to come by restoring it to its original state, continued as follows:

"When I look at the dome, I look at the four corners and I can see Hassan, Hussein... I see them. The dome is already there. I get the same signal from there as well. I believe there will  be a tender for this place after August 15^th. The restoration will be launched with the tender. It will be a great excitement for us to see that the historical complex, not campus, in its original state after restoration is complete. November 15^th will be an important milestone in this respect. I wish that a strong company that will display sensitivity to this task in question, will win the tender. And the complex will promptly regain its former state. Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane (High Medical School) built by Abdulhamit Han, may he rest in peace, was inaugurated by Sultan Abdulhamit Han himself on November 6^th, 1903. I think that this building has regained a mission in parallel with the goal of Abdulhamit Han with the allocation of this building to University of Health Sciences established last year."

"Turkey needs to raise the bar each day"

President Erdoğan also emphasized that he believes the students who receive education and training in Gülhane Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane and other departments will act with the awareness of the historical mission the university has.

Erdoğan said that Turkey, a leading country in the world in field of health services, must raise the bar each day, and the ones who will ensure this are the students and professors of this historical school.

Erdoğan relayed that he has been working closely with the Rector of the University Dr. Cevdet Erdöl as a politician and as the head of his health care team for many years. Erdoğan said: "Our university will become a most prestigious educational institution in a short time in its field under the leadership of Professor Cevdet with very serious background in two major areas as academia and politics. Because Professor Cevdet has a special trait; he does not work between 9 in the morning and 5 in the evening, his shift never ends. He was like that when he was with me, probably there has not been much change since then and I hope that he will carry this on. I will always support University of Health Sciences as I do all other education and training institutions as Turkish president.”

Erdoğan said that he wishes to consult on the subject of higher education in Turkey and continued as follows: "There are some topics on my agenda such as the distance we have taken in the health field and our 2023 objectives for the field. But for a long time, we have not gotten a chance to properly discuss other issues on our agenda due to terrorist events or developments in fight against terrorism. I express my discomfort at every opportunity, and I warn my friends to focus on their agendas, their main affairs.”

Erdoğan thanking the University of Health Sciences for the honorary PhD title, wished them success in their operations and in the new academic year.

Notes from the Ceremony

The ceremony took start with recitation of the Holy Koran and continued with performance of Turkish National Anthem and a moment of silence.

Following the speeches in the ceremony, the honorary doctorate title was presented by the rector of Health Sciences University Dr. Cevdet Erdöl to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The ceremony was attended by Health Minister Recep Akdağ, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin and Turkish Kızılay President Kerem Kınık.

Erdoğan who received gifts after his speech, received information about the school in a live connection with Somali Mogadishu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Health Sciences University Health Services Vocational School.

Before the ceremony, Erdoğan visited the exhibition "Establishment of Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane", which illustrates the history of the building today used as the University of Health Sciences. Professor. Dr. Erdöl also gave information to Erdoğan on the exhibition.

There are 200 students in Preparatory classes

Somalia Mogadishu Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Health Services Vocational School has 200 students who study completely in Turkish in the preparatory classes. Yunus Emre Enstitüsü also provides doctors and nurses from Somalia with Turkish language training next to students of Health Services Vocational School.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated Somalia Turkish Education and Research Hospital with a bed capacity of 200 in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu during his visit to African Horn countries two years ago.