Students visiting Turkey bid one another a teary farewell

The closing ceremony of the 11th International Turkish Olympiad was held on Sunday night in İstanbul. Nearly 250,000 people attended the event. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Selahattin Sevi)
The closing ceremony of the 11th International Turkish Olympiad was held on Sunday night in İstanbul. Nearly 250,000 people attended the event. (Photo: Today's Zaman, Selahattin Sevi)


Date posted: June 19, 2013

Students who came to Turkey about four weeks ago to compete in the 11th International Turkish Olympiad — a competition in which Turkish speakers from around the globe recite poetry, write essays and sing songs — bid one another teary farewells during the Olympiad’s closing ceremony in İstanbul on Sunday night.

The 11th International Turkish Olympiad, organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER), is part of Turkey’s annual International Language and Culture Festival. A total of 2,000 students from 140 countries attended the 2013 Olympiad, which kicked off on June 1 with a grand ceremony at 19 Mayıs Stadium in Ankara and ended on June 16 with the closing ceremony in İstanbul.

Nearly every country in the world sent students, who had the opportunity to spend time together and form strong friendships during the Olympiad, making it very difficult for them to say goodbye. Many cried as they bid farewell to their new friends. “Don’t be sad, we will meet again,” some said in an attempt at consolation, while others exchanged gifts. Students took down email addresses and phone numbers and promised to keep in touch after returning to their home countries.

Ukrainian student Reyana Kadirova told Today’s Zaman that she’d met people from all 140 countries participating in the Olympiad, adding: “Thanks to the Turkish Olympiads, I formed friendships that I might not be able to build again in my life. Whichever Turkish city we visited, we were welcomed with great hospitality. I never felt like foreigner during the time I spent in Turkey.”

Enes Ahmadi from Australia told Today’s Zaman that he felt he had visited 140 countries at the Olympiads.

Abdullah Waziri from Kenya, Alfian Nurdiansyah from Indonesia and Abdulrab Hoheb from India stayed in the same dorm room for the Olympiad, and formed lasting friendships.

Nurdiansyah said that the three became like brothers in Turkey, although all of them come from different countries and cultures. He added: “Now, we are returning to our countries. I want our brotherhood and friendship to continue.”

Akouvi Deborah Eguida from Togo said: “I don’t want to return to my country. I could live forever here with such sincere and warm-blooded people. I had friends only in my country a month ago, but now I have friends from countries I couldn’t find on a map.”

Ahmet Dere, a Turkish teacher working at a Turkish school in Kenya, told Today’s Zaman that though the students got acquainted just a month ago when they first came to Turkey to attend the Olympiads, the strength of their friendships made it seem like they’d known each other for 40 years.

The closing ceremony of the Olympiads was held on Sunday night at İstanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Nearly 250,000 spectators joined in the festivities. Students fascinated local audiences with 99 stage shows in 55 cities across Turkey in the Olympiad.

Praises from singers, politicians

Turkish pop diva Ajda Pekkan, who was on the jury for the Olympiad’s singing finals (held at İstanbul Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on June 7), called the Olympiad a very successful organization. “I watched the closing ceremony on TV. The laser light shows, music and fireworks in the ceremony fascinated me. If there aren’t any problems, I plan to attend the closing ceremony when it’s held next year,” Pekkan said in an interview with Today’s Zaman.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Erdoğan Toprak told Today’s Zaman that students who attended the Turkish Olympiad will move on to be advocates for Turkey in their countries, adding: “They will tell of our culture and hospitality in their countries. … I want to thank Turkish teachers [working at Turkish schools all over the world]. They have a very important duty.”

Justice and Development Party deputy Nimet Baş said: “I am proud of the organization on behalf of my country and my language.”

Songwriter Sezen Cumhur Önal, who also spoke to Today’s Zaman, said the Olympiads were “a dream of June” and proposed that they be held not only in Turkey but in other countries as well. Önal also thanked well-respected Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen for supporting the Olympiads.

Arabesque singer and composer Orhan Gencebay praised the closing of the Olympiad, saying it was one of only two ceremonies he had ever admired in his life.

The poetry final took place at the Ankara Arena Sports Hall in June. Thousands of people, including senior officials, politicians and high-profile guests from the media and art world, were in attendance. Maty Diokhane from Senegal, who recited “Zindandan Mehmed’e Mektup” (A Letter from Prison to Mehmet), a poem by famous Turkish poet Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, won the highest scores from jury members and was named the winner.

The singing final of the Olympiad was held at İstanbul’s Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on June 7. Bulgarian Martin Yordanov, who sang “Deli Gönlüm” (My Mad Heart), came first in the final.

SourceToday’s Zaman 18 June 2013


Related News

Why was Mr. Gulen’s name brought up in the coup attempt in Turkey?

Fethullah Gulen: He (Mr. Erdogan) has always had a reaction to those who do not obey him since the beginning. As I previously expressed in other occasions, maybe, he was concealing some of his feelings.

Bank Asya: Battle for survival against a presidential onslaught

Not all banking collapses are alike or lead to extinction. Some are caused by systemic, catastrophic events such as the global financial crisis of 2008, while others are caused by idiosyncratic exposure to geopolitical factors. Bank Asya, Turkey’s largest private participation bank, is currently in the midst of the latter and is potentially edging toward disintegration.

Pregnant female judge held in prison in dire conditions speaks out

We go to see the doctor with our hands cuffed. It is good enough for me to see the doctor say my baby is OK. It doesn’t even come to my mind to ask about its weight, height and how it looks like.

Woman miscarried twins in prison, dead bodies not returned to family

The 28-year-old Nurhayat Yildiz miscarried her twins in prison and the dead bodies of her babies were not returned to any of her family members.

Closing down prep schools and calling it ‘transformation’

BÜŞRA ERDAL, İSTANBUL Describing the government’s plan to close down the prep schools as a “transformation” is nothing more than saying, “I’m not going to say ‘close down prep schools,’ but I’m going to close them down.” The draft law in question will affect millions of students and their parents, but the debate on prep […]

Turkish-American community grapples with Turkey coup’s aftermath

Dr. Gokcek said he is not optimistic. He is fearful about the growing tensions in the country and coup sympathizers who might be stigmatized as traitors. On a basic level, Gokcek said, he has been able to sit down and eat with other Turkish-Americans with whom he might not always agree. “Some of those friends, I might not be able to now,” he said.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Lord Mitchell pays a visit to Turkish School

İstanbul municipality tears down part of school in midnight operation

Parents Of Afghan-Turk Students To Lodge Complaint Against National Directorate of Security

‘Who do you like most, Erdoğan or Gülen?’ Turkish teacher asks primary school students

Are we to wait for our Fethullah Gulen?

Main opposition deputy head slams gov’t for targeting Hizmet Movement

Pro-gov’t circles intensify hypocritical propaganda targeting Gülen movement

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News