The event was held by the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, Akademi Language Center and the Russian State Library under the auspices of the Turkish Embassy in Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, press attaché for the Russian president, and Yuri Şeka, the head of the Turkish department at the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, received the Atatürk Turkish Language Award. The award is presented to one statesman and one academic who contribute to Turkish-Russian relations.
Aydın Sezgin, the Turkish ambassador in Moscow, said as he presented the awards that the Turkish Olympiads are an investment in Turkish-Russian relations. “Russian-speaking Turks and Turkish-speaking Russians contribute to our bilateral relations. Turkish-Russian relations are getting more meaningful strategically. Therefore big opportunities await the youth who speak both languages,” he said. In his acceptance speech, Peskov said the Turkish Olympiads are a beautiful event and congratulated all the participating students.
Mikhail S. Meyer, head of the Institute of Asian and African Studies and Turkish Olympiads organizing committee chairman, said in his opening remarks that more interest is being shown in the event every year. He said the attendance of Peskov, who is fluent in Turkish, is important and added that he has an undeniable role in improving bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia. He said Turkish-Russian relations will further improve and that in the future the venue will be too small to host the Olympiads. The coveted song award went to Aygül Kutluyava from Kazan, who sang renowned Turkish singer Candan Erçetin’s “Söz Vermiştin Bana.” Twin sisters Mariya and Yekaterina Dyahlova came second while Darya Nosova took the third spot. In the poetry competition, Alina Sultanova and Maksim Krastikov from Moscow State University and Anna Lavrikova from Astrakhan State University took the top three places. A well-known Russian singer with roots in Tatarstan, Renat Ibragimov and singers from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s (TRT) İstanbul Radio also performed during the night.
Published on Today's Zaman, 16 April 2012, Monday
