Turkey Now Back in Africa with Turkish Schools

Rasheed Begg
Rasheed Begg


Date posted: February 20, 2013

In parallel to a focus on Africa initiatives in Turkish foreign policy, there has been a visible increase in the interest toward Turkey throughout Africa as well. Strengthening partnerships and relations founded on the shared past has been welcomed by academics, experts, politicians and the media. Consequently, such an interest has encouraged a rise in the number of scholarly exchanges, given the need for enriching existing academic and cultural common grounds.

The conference “Africa and Turkey: Common Heritage, Common Future” is such an example held under the auspices of the Office of Public Diplomacy, Prime Ministry of Turkey and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) on February 7 in Ankara, Turkey. Organized by International Middle East Peace Research Center (IMPR) and hosted by TOBB-Economy and Technology University (TOBB-ETU), the event aimed to deepen the reciprocal interest in Turkey and Africa with an international participation of scholars.

Among the international speakers was Dr. Rasheed Begg, a descendant of an Ottoman Islamic scholar Ebubekir Efendi who was assigned duty in South Africa by Sultan Abdulaziz. Dr. Begg’s focus has been mainly on impacts of Islam and Christianity in African communities in his studies. Having presented his highly thought provoking arguments and insights regarding the shared past and future, Dr. Begg gave a special interview to the national daily Bugun. In addition to elaborately reviewing the “Ottoman factor” in the long-established ties, he emphasized the role of Turkish schools as a bridge between Turkey and South Africa. According to Begg, the schools revived the relations kicking off a new era.

In response to the question concerning the recent revival of relations, Begg commented: “For the sake of a genuine advancement, I believe Turkey should further engage in Africa. We have been encouraging Turkish students to study in South Africa especially for the last 2 years. Currently, there are 10 Turkish schools operating in South Africa, and 200 students from Turkey are receiving English language education or studying at South African universities. As a matter of fact, Turkey has come back to Africa with the Turkish schools. A large number of native African students are studying at these schools. Students attending these schools are learning Turkish and receiving a high quality education.”

Source: Excerpted from the interview published [in Turkish] on Bugün Daily, 18 February 2013. English translation is retrieved from Hizmetmovement.com


Related News

The Anatolians are coming

This inclusion of the Armenian and Jewish cultures in the “Anatolian” concept is worth pondering, for it tells something about the cultural codes of some of the makers of “New Turkey” and how they differ from the codes of “old” (i.e., Kemalist) Turkey.

Turkey’s permanent state of crisis

However, Erdogan has a problem: Whereas Ataturk came to power as a military general, Erdogan has a democratic mandate to govern. Ataturk’s Turkey was rural and only 10 percent of the country was literate at the time, with most educated people supporting his agenda. Erdogan’s Turkey is 80 percent urban and nearly 100 percent literate, and many well-educated Turks oppose his agenda.

Ergenekon’s coup-lovers owe an apology to the Hizmet movement

Since the start of the Ergenekon trials, some of the suspects and their supporters constantly, steadfastly and fiercely argued that the Ergenekon cases were based on fabricated evidence prepared by the Hizmet movement, claiming that the defendants were actually innocent. They now owe an apology to the Hizmet movement.

Fountain Magazine wins APEX Award for publication excellence

HizmetNews — September 4, 2013 The Fountain Magazine has received an Award of Excellence in publication in the 25th APEX Awards. APEX awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. The Fountain was granted the award in an intense competition of some 2,400 entries in […]

Gulen Charter Schools: Ignorance and Lies Beyond Reality

“Ignorance, fear, hatred, and lies beyond reality” seems to be a common pattern of many accusations in our world. The pattern well explains the motif of the statement, “Fethullah Gülen infiltrates the United States through our charter schools.” It seems to me that the only truth of the statement is that it aims to disturb […]

Are politics and Hizmet from different walks of life?

The possibility of rivalry or conflict between ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Hizmet (the Gülen movement, which consists of followers of Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen’s ideas), came to the agenda once again when individuals known to be Gülen followers took the side of the judiciary in a debate between the government and […]

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

Panicky parents calmed over Feza Schools closure reports

Kimse Yok Mu extends help to refugees trying to reach Europe

Turks in America condemn unlawful government action during the corruption probe

AK Party VP Sahin: We can only be grateful to Hizmet people

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

Fethullah Gulen Issues Strong Condemnation of ISIS

Fethullah Gülen suggests Turkish coup attempt could have been staged

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News