With information they gained after receiving the summary for the preparations of this year’s Olympiads, this was the slogan the agency had proposed. However, the organizing committee decided to use Yunus Emre’s famous call: “Come and Let’s Get Acquainted.” And this is a good development. Yunus’ sincere, concise and heartfelt call conveys the message of the Turkish Olympiads well.
The main message of the last year’s Olympiads was: “Turkish: A Language of Love.” Thus, emphasis on love is not made without a reason. Hundreds of students from 130 countries are entitled to compete in the Olympiads after going through country qualifiers. After convincing the jury that they are proficient in use of Turkish, they can participate in the competition in Turkey. They not only exhibit their skills in their use of Turkish, but also demonstrate the cultural assets of their own countries. As we saw in previous ceremonies, the people cramming into the halls encourage these young people by waving flags of their respective countries, having their share from love and peace. The young people from various countries around the globe stage folkloric and other shows that exhibit their cultural values. As a matter of fact, this universal approach is making the message of love so alive and realistic. On one hand are the rest of the world’s youth that can masterfully use Turkish and on the other, are the citizens of the Turkish republic who are able to get to know the diverse cultural assets of many countries thanks to these young people. Thus, these Olympiads serve to make progress toward world peace with the awareness of empathy and sympathy.
The objections raised by questioning, “What is the use to us if young black people are learning to speak Turkish in some obscure part of Africa?” or “Do you think it is beneficial to open up a school and teach Turkish in an insignificant country?” lack any reasonable explanation. It is important to have better communication with the word. This communication can be established using any other means other than language. Indeed, this is what is happening for the time being. We talk to “foreign” people using English, which is of course, one method. In the past, other languages were popular in the international arena.
There is more to establishing communication than just using the Turkish language. Learning Turkish implies having close contact with the culture of Turkey, including its cuisine, songs, poems and folklore. Those who see the purity of our souls today will be able to better understand us more deeply in the future. This is very important not only for Turkey, but also for our globe that is in need of hearing new things.
Certain hesitations may be observable with respect to the Turkish language’s growing influence, as is the case in many areas. Unfortunately, this has been the case all along; we are always afraid of our own shadows. No other nation around the globe is so afraid of its own reflection on the mirror. If the gallant and contented children of Anatolia had gone to every corner of the world and opened up schools there and taught Turkish there, this cannot be explained by Pan-Turkism or Pan-Turanism. If it were not for certain human values, such as love, respect, compassion and clemency, they would not be so successful. Therefore, all worries and complexes are meaningless. What we see is neither Turkish imperialism nor Turkish hegemony. If those were the case, Turkey could neither so warmly welcome those colorful young people who come to promote their own cultures, nor could these children could celebrate the joy of learning Turkish in such a magnificent atmosphere.
The Turkish press has failed to fully understand both the big gap bridged by the Turkish Olympiads or its emotional content. Perhaps, this could not be explained fully in early years. But the color the Ninth Olympiads add to our media is obvious. The Turkish Olympiads indicate a promising horizon for our people at a time when our linguistic sensitivity is decreasing. It does this by overlooking ethnic or racial differences and instilling a love for humankind in their place. Perhaps, it is for this reason the Turkish Oympiads are sending a heartwarming message to all despite differences in opinion or identities. I think it is historically incumbent upon us to applaud everyone involved -- though they would never demand this.
Published on Today's Zaman, 19 June 2011, Sunday
