Turkish summer school to host students from 31 countries

A Turkish language summer school run by the Yunus Emre Institute will host 300 students from 31 countries in Turkey throughout August.

Eskişehir Governor Azim Tuna said at a press conference that students would also take a city tour as part of summer school. "In the future, our students will have a big responsibility to strengthen the bonds between Turkey and other countries. They will be our ambassadors, creating an emotional bridge between regions," he said.

Eskişehir Osmangazi University (ESOGÜ) Chancellor Hasan Gönen said the summer school is being held for the second year for students chosen by the Yunus Emre Institute. Gönen added that the school aims to introduce Turkish culture to successful international students who want to know more about Turkey and practice their Turkish.

Yunus Emre Institute Deputy President Ebubekir Ceylan said 33 students from 10 countries would attend the summer school taking place in Eskişehir, adding that 11 summer school programs are scheduled to take place in Turkey. Pointing out that Eskişehir was the Culture and Arts Capital of the Turkic World in 2013, Ceylan said it is important for students to enjoy their time there.

One of the participants, Guillaume Delenda from France, learned Turkish nine months ago. Delenda said all participants could speak Turkish better at the end of the program.

Another participant, Gülnaz Memmedli from Azerbaijan, said she is proudly keeping the image of Turkey – the moon and star – on her necklace and really likes Turkey. Participating students will also enjoy cultural and social activities as well as Turkish courses. Supported by Ankara University's Turkish and Foreign Languages Research and Application Center (TÖMER), the program will end on Aug. 22.