site.btaBulgarian Universities Attract Students from Turkiye

Around 600 undergraduates and 21 PhD students from Turkey are studying in Bulgarian universities, said Rector of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski” Prof. Anastas Gerdzhikov during a conference marking the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Turkiye (1923-2023).  

He noted that since then diplomatic relations have never been interrupted - neither during the Second World War nor during the Cold War.

Bulgarian and Turkish research teams participate jointly in a number of projects and consortia under the European Union framework programmes. In recent years, more than 700 Erasmus+ projects have been implemented with the participation of Turkish teachers, students and pupils, as well as youth exchanges between the two countries, Gerdzhikov pointed out.

He noted that at Sofia University, Turkish Philology was founded in 1952 and since 2000 it has been expanded into the larger Department of Turkic and Altaic Studies. Last year, a scientific conference dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the programme was held at the Centre for Eastern Languages and Cultures at Sofia University.

In her address, Turkish Ambassador to Bulgaria Aylin Sekizkok said that Bulgaria is not only a neighbour and an ally, but also a close, friendly and brotherly country. The architect of this friendship is the founder of the Republic of Turkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who attached special importance to science and history, Ambassador Sekizkok said.  

She noted that today is a day for diplomats to keep silent and let the historians have their say as there is much to learn from the professors because in international relations, individual countries' reading of their own history is of great importance.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tihomir Stoychev also addressed the forum.

The year 2023 marks a century since the establishment of official diplomatic relations between the newly proclaimed Turkish republic and Bulgaria. To celebrate the anniversary, the Centre for Regional Studies at Sofia University and the Centre of Excellence "Heritage BG" are organizing on Tuesday a short conference with the participation of specialists on the issue and with Turkish Ambassador Aylin Sekizkok.

The academic event was accompanied by the opening of an exhibition with items presented over the years by Turkish officials to Bulgarian state institutions, documents from the Archives State Agency and documents from the personal archive of former Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, kept at the Vrana Palace. Some of the exhibits are being shown to the public for the first time.