March 19, 2018•Update: March 19, 2018
By Safvan Allahverdi
WASHINGTON
The Washington branch of a group promoting Turkish culture worldwide on Sunday celebrated the 103rd anniversary of a historic Turkish victory with an interactive event for children.
At Tyson’s Corner Mall in Virginia, near the U.S. capital, the Yunus Emre Institute erected a large picture showing a Turkish soldier carrying an ANZAC soldier during the 1915 Battle of Canakkale, with an outline of the Turkish nation in the background.
Children were invited to put stickers on the board, with blue stickers filling in the outline of Turkey and red stickers being placed on the soldiers.
Over the course of the day, the children were able to create a work of art, and were also were given gifts of the famous Turkish delight.
Along with entertaining the children, the aim was also to educate people who visited the mall about Turkey and the Battle of Canakkale, also known as Gallipoli.
The March 18, 1915 Battle of Canakkale, which took place in the province's Gelibolu (Gallipoli) district, marked a turning point in favor of the Turks against the Allied forces during World War I.
Yunus Emre volunteers and employees also hung banners teaching fun facts about the country and its history.
"The Canakkale Victory is one of the biggest turning points in our successful fight for independence, as it enabled the Turkish nation to have a strong and prosperous life on Anatolian soil," Halid Bulut, head of the institute’s Washington branch, told Anadolu Agency.
"The Yunus Emre Institute organized this event to commemorate the victory as it is one of the most distinguished achievements in our history, and to tell the American public about our culture and history,” he added.
Bulut also stressed that the institution's aim is to tell people about Turkey as well as to dispel misinformation about the country.
The local Yunus Emre Institute has offered its Turkish language courses to over 40 people since they started being offered in summer 2017.
The institute provides services abroad to people who want to learn Turkish language, culture, and art, to build bonds of friendship between Turkey and other countries, and to increase cultural exchange.
Since its establishment in 2009, the institute has taught Turkish to nearly 100,000 people in 43 countries.
Named after the 13th century poet Yunus Emre, it has over 50 cultural centers around the world offering artistic, social, and scientific programs.
