Sudanese turn to Turkish for education, business and travel

Interest in the Turkish language is on the rise in Sudan thanks to the efforts of Turkish public agencies. Students of all ages seek to learn the language, either out of curiosity, for education and business opportunities in Türkiye or for when they visit the country as tourists.

The Yunus Emre Institute, active in the African country since 2016, organizes Turkish classes and has so far helped more than 2,000 people learn the language. The classes were previously organized by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), which still continues its development projects and humanitarian activities in the country.

Three teachers assigned by Türkiye’s Ministry of National Education teach classes at the Turkology Department of the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences in Khartoum. Some 300 students have graduated from the Turkology Department since 2011. The Turkish Embassy is also working towards launching Turkish classes at the Turkology Department of the International University of Africa in the country this year while authorities strive to launch new classes in three other universities. Elsewhere, Türkiye’s Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) supports the Sudan Turkish Alumni Association, founded by Sudanese alumni of Turkish universities, with the Turkish language classes they provide at the association.

Some students start from scratch while others seek to improve the Turkish they learned from Turkish TV shows and films popular in the country.

Asra al-Sir, a Turkish language teacher from the Yunus Emre Institute, says interest in Turkish among the Sudanese substantially increased in recent years and many people sought to study in Türkiye. “We also have students working at Turkish companies in Sudan who want to improve their language skills,” she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday. Al-Sir said they try to open new courses twice or more a year and this year, they would open five new beginner-level classes.

Muhammad Zainulabidin was among those signing up for Turkish classes at the institute this week. Working in the tourism sector, Zainulabidin has been to Türkiye three times and found that Turks feel more comfortable when communicating with people who speak their language. “Türkiye is also among primary tourism destinations for the Sudanese, so it is important for us to learn the language,” he told AA.

Asma Babikr, an architect, said she was interested in Turkish architecture and sought to learn Turkish to learn more about it. Babikr attends classes at the Sudan Turkish Alumni Association.

“I heard there were many words in Turkish with Arabic origins and I think it will be easy to learn it,” Abubaker Ahmed Suleiman, a pharmacist signing up for a class, said. Suleiman says he wants to pursue postgraduate studies in Türkiye. “They have quality education and besides, I will be able to learn about a new culture,” he says.

Rahma Issam at-Taher, a university student who attends beginner level classes at Yunus Emre Institute, says he has been watching Turkish TV series for the past few years and became more familiar with the language. “It is easy to learn,” at-Taher, who hopes to be an interpreter, says.

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