The 8th Turkey Multilingual Debates, held in 11 languages among students from Imam Hatip high schools, concluded with a final competition and award ceremony in Istanbul.

Organized by the Directorate General of Religious Education and supported by the Academy of Language and Scientific Research Association, the event was hosted at Pendik Şehit Adil Büyükcengiz Anatolian Imam Hatip High School.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of National Education, the event came to a close with a celebratory ceremony honoring the finalists and winners.

The two-day competition brought together students from Anatolian Imam Hatip High Schools with preparatory language programs, who competed in Arabic, English, Spanish, German, French, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Russian. Students from International Imam Hatip High Schools competed in Turkish.

In the online quarterfinals, the participation included:

• 18 schools in Turkish

• 18 in Arabic,

• 73 in English,

• 2 in Spanish,

• 3 in German,

• 2 in Persian,

• 2 in French,

• and 1 school each in Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Russian.

At the award ceremony, Deputy Minister of National Education Assoc. Prof. Dr. Celile Eren Ökten shared her joy in seeing young people who can think in different languages and express themselves clearly and confidently.

“The success of these young individuals is not just a product of personal effort, but also of collaborative education. Thanks to this initiative by the Directorate General of Religious Education, students are developing essential skills such as critical thinking, persuasive communication, and a culture of respectful debate—all of which are needed in every area of life.

Debates in 11 languages reflect the multicultural richness of our civilization. This year’s themes were chosen to deepen students’ awareness of current global issues, intellectual maturity, and social responsibility.”