South Africans showing growing interest in Turkey

JOHANNESBURG

South Africans are showing a growing interest in Turkish language and culture, with many taking the next step and enrolling in related courses, the director of the Yunus Emre Institute in Johannesburg said Monday.

“We receive many people at our offices daily asking about Turkish culture, since our office is located on a very busy street in Johannesburg near the home of former late president Nelson Mandela,” Abdulaziz Yigit told Anadolu Agency.

He said many people are attracted to their office when they see the Turkish flag and name of their cultural center.

More than 50 students have already registered for Turkish courses at the institution for the 2019 academic year, he noted.

“Our institution was established just over a year ago, but the numbers of people visiting us to enquire about Turkey or to register and study shows us there is overwhelming interest,” he said.

Yigit said the institute, which was inaugurated in October 2017 by Turkish Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz, also aims to promote relations between Turkey and South Africa through cultural exchanges.

“In 2017, we sent six South African students to Turkey to improve their knowledge of Turkish language and culture.

Last year, we also sent a media studies student from a South African university to attend the Turkish cinema festival,’’ he said.

Yigit said their students range in age from 7-70 years, adding the institute’s courses include Turkish language, calligraphy and Ebru marbling.

He said the institute was also promoting educational opportunities for South Africans who want to study in Turkey under a scholarship program.

The institute also launched the first Turkish library in sub-Saharan Africa, which will benefit both South African and Turkish researchers.

Since its establishment in 2009, the Yunus Emre Institute has taught Turkish to more than 99,000 people in 40 countries.

Named after the influential poet Yunus Emre, the institute now has around 50 cultural centers around the world offering artistic, social and scientific programs.