The 7th Turkey Debates Finals Held in Izmit in 11 Different Languages.

Organized by the General Directorate of Religious Education of the Ministry of National Education, the 7th “Turkey Debates,” held under the advisory of the Academy of Language and Scientific Research Association and Akdemistanbul Language Education Institutions, took place for students of Anatolian Imam Hatip high schools and international Anatolian Imam Hatip high schools, with the final and award ceremony taking place on June 12-13.

The award ceremony held at the Kocaeli Başiskele Youth Center was attended by Dr. Ahmet İşleyen, General Director of Religious Education, as well as Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ağırakça, founder of Akdemistanbul Language Education Institutions, provincial administrators, representatives of civil society organizations, and many guests.

Initiated in 2015, the “Arabic Debate Competitions” aim to enable our students to effectively use their Arabic language skills, generate original ideas in different languages, find solutions to problems they encounter, and support their ability to express themselves by presenting their ideas in society. This year, the finals were held in Izmit with tournaments in 11 different languages.

Students from Anatolian Imam Hatip high schools participating in the preparatory language class program debated in Modern Standard Arabic, English, Spanish, German, French, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Russian; while students studying at international Anatolian Imam Hatip high schools competed in Turkish. The school teams were formed to defend the proposition assigned to them through a lottery as the “Proponent Side” and to oppose the proposition as the “Opposition Side,” leading to fierce competition. The evaluation process of the debates held in 11 different languages was carried out by jury members who are experts and academics in their respective languages.

The debates continued enthusiastically over two days, showcasing the efforts and language performances of the students. On the first day, the semi-finals were held in Turkish, Modern Standard Arabic, and English, while finals took place in German, Spanish, Persian, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. The program concluded with an award ceremony held after the final competitions in Turkish, Arabic language courses, and English on the second day.