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Abant Platform urges government, protesters to exercise common sense

Turkey’s leading social debate platform Abant has called on both government and protesters to exercise common sense, urging restraint for both sides to avoid violence in nationwide protests that gripped Turkey for more than a week. The Abant Platform expressed its concerns over possible chaos that could follow sometimes mutually violent actions of both sides […]

Turkish Olympiad students visit top level gov’t officials in Ankara

İPEK ÜZÜM, ANKARA Students coming from all round the world to participate in the 11th International Turkish Olympiad, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and which this year brought together 2,000 students from 140 countries, visited the Ankara Governor and the ministers of energy and EU affairs in Ankara on Tuesday. A group of […]

Turkish Olympiad students visit Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek

İPEK ÜZÜM, İSTANBUL Students coming from all round the world to participate in the 11th International Turkish Olympiad, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and which this year brought together 2,000 students from 140 countries around the world, visited Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek and organizations in Ankara on Monday. A group of students went […]

11th Turkish Olympiad opens with grand ceremony in Ankara

İPEK ÜZÜM A grand inauguration ceremony was held at 19 Mayıs Stadium in Ankara on Saturday night for the 11th International Turkish Language Olympiad, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and this year brought together 2,000 students from 140 countries around the world. The 11th Olympiad, which is organized by the International Turkish Education […]

“Abraham’s Table Gatherings” in Turkey hosts Assyrian community

“Abraham’s Table Gatherings” by Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADIP) continues with the participation of diverse faith, religion, culture and ethnicity leaders. The guests of the series in May were representatives from the Orthodox Assyrian community. Through the gatherings, KADIP under the umbrella of Journalists and Writers Foundation intends to get together, every month, with another culture […]

5 million people expected to attend 11th Int’l Turkish Olympiads

İSA YAZAR Five million people are expected to watch the wide range of shows to be performed in 55 Turkish cities as part of the 11th International Turkish Olympiads, a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and is this year brings together 2,000 students from 140 countries. The 11th International Turkish Olympiads, which is organized […]

Will the Gulen Movmement found a political party?

Turkey’s prominent journalist Fehmi Koru answered Ece Uner’s questions on Haberturk TV. He also made comments about the AK Party-Gulen Movement conflict and the probability that the Gulen Movement may engage in active party politics. Koru said, “What you call as the movement is a civil society organization. They let politicians do the daily politics. […]

Head of Turkish Olympiads committee: The Nobel Foundation cannot overlook us

ALİ ASLAN KILIÇ Deputy speaker of parliament and chairman of the organizing committee of the International Turkish Language Olympiad Mehmet Sağlam explains that there are important new aspects to this year’s Turkish Language Olympiad, which has the theme of “Headed Toward Universal Peace.” Sağlam says the Olympiad, now in its 11th year, has truly turned […]

“Here today, the Honorable Gulen’s vision is coming true”, says Malian Minister

Speaking of the 11th International Turkish Language Olympiads, the Malian Minister of Culture Bruno Maiga said, “Here today, the Honorable Fethullah Gulen‘s vision is coming true”, in his speech met with the loudest applause at the cultural festival held in Izmir for the first time. Noting that students from 140 different countries have formed a […]

Minister Yildirim’s high praise for Fethullah Gulen

Minister of Transportation, Maritime and Communication, Binali Yildirim, spoke at the Turkish Language Olympiads Cultural Festival participated by two thousand students from 140 countries, at Kulturpark in Izmir. In his remarks, Yildirim said: “Izmir is the city of tolerance, tourism and maritime, compared to a queen in Victor Hugo’s diaries. You’ve added to its beauty. […]

Turkish Olympiads Cultural Festival attended by 3 million visitors in İzmir

Nearly 3 million people attended the Cultural Festival of the 11th International Turkish Olympiads, an event celebrating the Turkish language that will bring together 2,000 students from 140 countries this year. The event, which began on Friday, was held by the Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER) and attracted considerable interest from both visitors from İzmir and […]

Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gulen Movement (Book Review)

BOOK REVIEW Ten years after co-editing his first book on the Gülen movement, Hakan Yavuz, a leading scholar on Turkish society, brings his academic prowess and careful observations to bear on this dynamic phenomenon in Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gülen Movement.1 This well-timed book not only provides an update on the growth of the […]

Gülen asked government to be more careful on the language they use: Deputy PM Arınç

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen asked the Turkish government to be more careful in regional and international issues during his visit, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said May 22 in an interview with public broadcaster TRT. Arınç had meeting with Gülen, who lives in a self-imposed exiled in Pennsylvania, on the sidelines of Prime Minister Recep […]

What are the golden kids of the Turkish Olympiads doing now?

SELAHATTİN SEVİ/MÜHENNA KAHVECİ/MEHMET ALİ POYRAZ, KYRGZSTAN/GEORGIA/ROMANIA/KENYA/BANGLADESH  Late summer heralds the arrival of Turkish language season in Anatolia. Teachers and students from all over the world pour into Turkey, each of them presenting their talents and skills onstage. Children of various backgrounds and nationalities recount fables, recite poems and sing songs across various parts of Turkey. Ahead […]

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