Turkish language blossoms in Tunisia

By Murat Ozgur Guvendik

ANKARA (AA) - A group of Tunisian young people have been increasing interest in Turkish language and culture in the North African country.

Originally forming their Turkish language club to improve their Turkish language skills, the group in time transformed to become a platform for enthusiasts of Turkish culture.

The club, offering Turkish language practice and organizing social activities and humanitarian aid campaigns, also reaches thousands of other Tunisian young people with Turkish articles, stories and poems published in its journal, AY-YILDIZ (Star-Crescent) -- in reference to the symbols on the Turkish flag.

- Language improvement

Members of the Tunisia Turkish Club are currently preparing to publish the fifth issue of Star-Crescent, while also grappling with financial difficulties.

"I used to listen to Turkish poems without understanding them. Then, I started reading them as best as I could before deciding to learn Turkish to understand their words. This was why I took elective Turkish language classes in high school and university," Sarra Rhouma, one of the founding members of the club, told Anadolu Agency.

"This club, where we met with friends who, like me, wanted to improve their Turkish, offered me the opportunity to improve my language. We've become a family in this club and are publishing our own journal in Turkish and organizing field trips and humanitarian aid campaigns. We love Turkey and Turkish culture."

Some members joined for their interest in Turkish Folk Music, as well.

"I feel that Turkish folk music is very close to Tunisian. There are many shared emotions," said Nizar Larbi, a Turkish folk music enthusiast member of the club.

Another club member, Ghofrane Ouerghi, said his love for Turkish soap operas got him to learn Turkish, and that he loves everything about Turkey because he feels Turkish culture is very similar to Tunisian culture.

- Turkey's public diplomacy

Turkish is the second most popular second language among Tunisian students, said Musa Kara, who teaches Turkish at Tunis University.

He is also the coordinator of the Tunisia Turkish Club.

"The French are unsettled by the Turkish language education in this region that they see as their own zone of control. We can feel the pressure. For instance, they can press the university administration to place quotas on our classes," said Kara.

"Most recently, despite 2,000 applications from students at Manar University, a Turkish language course was not opened. More still, Tunisian and Turkish flags hung side by side in another classroom were taken down. But, we will do our jobs and continue teaching Turkish."

With only a few resources, Tunisia can become the door for the Turkish language in North Africa, Kara said, thanking Turkish organizations that have supported the Tunisia Turkish Club.

Turkish language courses were added to Tunisian curricula in 2013 with a protocol signed between the two countries.

Ankara appointed three academics and 10 instructors to Tunisia as part of the deal.

The Turkish language is being taught in many education institutions today as an elective course, facilitated by the Yunus Emre Institute.

Turkey's nonprofit Yunus Emre Institute works to promote the Turkish language, history and culture and has been teaching Turkish in collaboration with over 50 cultural centers around the world.