Students from 135 countries to join Turkish Olympiads this year


Date posted: March 11, 2012

İBRAHİM ASALIOĞLU, ANKARA

Foreign students from 135 countries will attend the 10th International Turkish Olympiads, which brings together hundreds of foreign students each year from Turkish schools established throughout the world.

A total of 1,500 students will compete at this year’s Olympiads, organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TÜRKÇEDER), in singing and poetry recitation contests, fascinating audiences with their outstanding performances of popular Turkish songs and well-known Turkish poems.

The theme of this year’s Olympiads, which will run from May 30-June 14, is “İnsanlık için el ele” (Hand-in-hand for humanity). Last year’s slogan was “One language, 7 billion people,” signifying the world uniting under one common language.

This year’s competitions will be predominantly held in Ankara and İstanbul, but there will also be activities in 38 other Turkish cities.

Ankara’s Kızılcahamam Asya Thermal Complex will host the Turkish-speaking children of the world for the duration of their two-week stay.

Foreign schools whose students attend the Olympiads will be able to set up tables to introduce their cultures at a cultural festival to be held mainly at the İstanbul World Trade Center.

Each year, about 15,000 students around the world prepare for the Olympiads, but only the finalists who win at national competitions are invited to attend the huge international competition in Turkey.

The competition will see gold medals given to the top 10 individuals, silver medals given to the top 10 percent of competitors and bronze medals given to the top 30 percent of competitors. TL 1,500 will be presented to gold medal winners, TL 1,125 to silver medal winners and TL 900 to bronze medal winners.

Tuncay Öztürk, secretary-general of TÜRKÇEDER, told Today’s Zaman that interest in the Olympiads increases with each passing year. Regarding the theme of this year’s competition, Öztürk said, “Our aim is to bring together all people in an atmosphere of love and dialogue.” He added that the Olympiads will be a feast of Turkish language that will be celebrated enthusiastically in every corner of Anatolia.

Source: Today's Zaman , March 11, 2012


Related News

“Peace and Sustainable Development: A Two-Way Relationship” Panel

Mr. Huseyin Hurmali, Vice-President of the JWF emphasized and explained how civil initiatives inspired by scholar Fethullah Gulen have been contributing to both durable peace and sustainable development in about 160 countries around the world. Schools, universities and other educational institutions have been providing high quality science and mathematics education and also contributing to peace through becoming entities of “social mediation” in the regions of conflict.

NTIC Foundation: Touching lives in Nigeria

Foreign capital typically finds its place among the most promising market indicators, as transnational investors constantly seek maximum returns on their investments. But for the First Surat Group Company, it is obviously not all about the bottom line.

Excitement of Turkish Olympiads felt in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian final of the 12 th International Turkish Olympiads program was held in Sheraton Hotel in the city with the participation of around 450 people, most of whom are the parents of the students attending Internationa Nejashi Turkish School.

Peace ambassador students conquer hearts at European Parliament

The Gala of the 13th International Language and Culture Olympics’ Brussels closing leg was hosted by the European Parliament, featuring 200 students from Turkish schools across the globe.

Ankara forces Arbil to close Turkish schools in KRG

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to close Turkish schools in the autonomous region of Iraq during Barzani’s visit to Turkey in mid-February, according to sources close to the KRG prime minister.

To escape punishment, punish them all

The Turkish prime minister has decided that if he continues to be angry and vengeful, his power will be cemented. In his latest address in Parliament, he pushed his angry discourse to higher — or lower — levels, to make clear that he will not forgive and he will punish. Since he has chosen the Hizmet movement as the enemy, all he wants to do is inflict harm, regardless of on who or what.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

GYV urges government to accelerate reforms in favor of media freedoms

Ishik University To Educate Students About the Threats of [the so-called] Islamic State

Turkish schools in Mali stay open despite conflict

The turmoil in Turkey – The terror threat is real and is made worse by Erdogan’s paranoia

Now, speaking Turco-Tweetish is more challenging

Purge In Turkey Worries Kansas City Emigres

Kimse Yok Mu volunteer physicians bring light to eyes in Darfur

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News