Turkish institute highlights cultural diplomacy in US

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) - The branch of Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute in Washington participated in an event highlighting the importance of cultural diplomacy at the University of California Wednesday.

Italian, Japanese and the U.S.-based cultural organization representatives were also at the event.

Representing Turkey, the Yunus Emre Institute’s U.S. Director, Halid Bulut, spoke on defining cultural diplomacy and ties between the United States and Turkey.

Bulut also emphasized on Turkey's recent success in humanitarian assistance around the world during his speech.

"We want to ensure that societies around the world learn about Turkey from more accurate sources," he told Anadolu Agency.

"There are so many sources that can lead people to misinformation, so we are doing this through activities carried out in numerous countries under the categories of culture, arts and Turkish language."

Yunus Emre Institute representatives also offered Turkish coffee and Turkish delight to participants after the event; they also introduced their Turkish Summer School program to students of the University of California, Irvine campus.

The institute provides services abroad to people who want to learn the Turkish language, culture and art; and to improve friendship between Turkey and other countries and increase cultural exchange.

Since its establishment in 2009, the institute has taught Turkish to more than 99,000 people in 43 countries.

Named after the 13th century poet Yunus Emre, the institute now has nearly 54 cultural centers around the world offering artistic, social and scientific programs.