February 26, 2025
The 15th Country Representatives Consultation Meeting organized by the Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMF) continues with an intense agenda. Ambassador Ayda Ünlü, Director General for Overseas Promotion and Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the meeting as a guest and made a speech on “Cultural Diplomacy”.
Mahmut M. Özdil, President of the Turkish Maarif Foundation, stated that the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Maarif Foundation continues with great care in the program where members of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, Country Representatives and Foundation staff were also present. Özdil thanked Ambassador Ünlü for his support in this process.
Turkish Maarif Foundation is a Strong Element of Cultural Diplomacy
Drawing attention to the educational mission of the Turkish Maarif Foundation in her speech, Ambassador Ayda Ünlü emphasized that the Maarif Foundation provides education to more than 55,000 students through 452 schools and 30 education centers. Stating that TMF is positioned as an important element of Türkiye's cultural diplomacy, Ünlü said that embassies and foreign missions actively support the Foundation to increase its impact in the international arena.
Ünlü stated that the education-based activities of the Turkish Maarif Foundation increase Türkiye's soft power and that these activities create a wider sphere of influence in the international arena. He also emphasized the importance of taking strategic steps with the guidance of the embassies in the countries where the Foundation operates.
Maarif Schools Raise Individuals Who Preserve Their Cultural Roots
Referring to the educational vision of Maarif Schools in his speech, Ünlü stated that the aim is to raise students in these schools as individuals who are open to innovations while preserving their cultural roots.
Emphasizing the importance of Maarif graduates to maintain their ties with Türkiye, Ünlü stated that supporting these students as volunteer ambassadors of Türkiye is a strategic approach and said, “The measure of promoting a country well is to make an eight-year-old girl say, ‘GOOD THERE IS TÜRKİYE’ and Turkish Maarif Foundation is achieving this.”
Stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work in coordination with the Turkish Maarif Foundation and will provide the necessary support for the foundation to achieve its goals, Ünlü said that the Maarif Foundation continues to contribute to the common knowledge of humanity by maintaining high standards in education.
