The President of the Turkish Language Association (YEE), Aliy, made statements about the organization’s activities. He mentioned that YEE provides services in 64 countries with 92 offices and they are working to strengthen their existing offices in the countries they are located in and diversify their activities. Aliy stated that their main goal is to strengthen their current structure and grow further because they receive a lot of demand. He also mentioned that they aim to grow in a controlled manner in opening new offices.
Aliy emphasized that teaching a language is also a cultural promotion activity. He mentioned that they teach Turkish to people interested in Turkish culture. He highlighted the importance of understanding the culture in order to fully learn a language. Aliy emphasized that they are not just a Turkish language course, but a institution that introduces Turkish culture and teaches Turkish language to those interested in Turkish culture simultaneously.
Aliy pointed out that Turkish culture is advancing through series in many parts of the world and many people are trying to learn Turkish through series. He mentioned that they think they can reach a minimum of 250,000 students by 2025. Aliy stated that they have more than 130,000 students including some from war zones, and their goal is to double this number by 2025. With the opening of new places, this number will increase, and they anticipate reaching a minimum of 250,000 students. One of their goals is to graduate students who apply to YEE’s courses by fully learning the language.
Aliy mentioned that there are many students who have received Turkish education and moved on to important positions in their countries. He stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan values YEE and expresses this on every platform. Aliy mentioned visiting Albania and Serbia with the President where they saw many people working at the Presidential Palace had taken lessons from YEE. He gave examples such as the protocol director of the Serbian President having learned Turkish from YEE. He also mentioned the translation staff of the Ministry of Culture learning Turkish from YEE and doing translations in official meetings, which they were proud of.
Aliy announced that they will establish an online platform called “Turkish Everywhere” where Turkish can be learned from anywhere in the world. He mentioned that they continued their work in Lebanon despite Israel’s attacks, and the number of students in online courses doubled. He also stated that YEE staff in Beirut continue their work under difficult conditions and will continue these efforts. Additionally, Aliy expressed that they have projects to translate important works of Turkish literature into many languages, showing their commitment to promoting Turkish culture globally.
