President Gül Attends Order of Republic and Order of Merit Presentation Ceremony at the Çankaya Presidential Palace

President Gül participated in the Presentation Ceremony of the Order of Republic and Order of Merit at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. The President delivered a speech at the ceremony during which he noted that the Order of Merit is given to international scholars who have made great contributions to Turkey, the Turkish language, the Turkish culture, history and civilization. 

Evincing his happiness to be with his guests at the Çankaya Presidential Palace on the occasion of the presentation ceremony, President Gül pointed to the great contributions of scholars, who carry out their research and studies on Turkey and its civilizations abroad. 

CARLO MARSILI’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO TURKISH-ITALIAN FELLOWSHIP 

The Order of Republic, the President said, is the highest order in Turkey conferred on persons other than heads of state and noted that it is given to those who have contibuted to the friendship between Turkey and their countries, pointing to Carlo Marsili, who he said made great contibutions to the fellowship between Turkey and Italy and who he recalled served as Italy’s Ambassador to Ankara for years. “During his tenure, Mr. Marsili demonstrated tireless efforts toward the development of Turkish-Italian relations in many areas including cultural activities, tourism and economic investments. His sincere efforts in this direction still continues through his conferences he has given and books he has authored. Therefore, he is the recipient of the Order of Republic today.” 

The President then noted that the Order of Merit is given to international scholars who have made great contributions to Turkey, the Turkish civilization, the Turkish language, Turkish culture, its history, architecture and civilization. 

“THE HISTORY OF EUROPE CANNOT BE WRITTEN WITHOUT MENTIONING THE TURKS” 

Turkey, the President reiterated, is a great country that has hosted several important civilizations and diverse cultures all of which he said are Turkey’s heritage and richness. These values, he added, should be promoted in the best way in the whole world and maintained that Turkey’s friends abroad  too are making great efforts to do that. This is why these good friends of Turkey will be decorated with the Order of Merit, he stressed. 

President Gül further underscored that the history of Europe and world cannot be written without mentioning the Turks and shared his pleasure at observing that in the best universities of the world, scholars and academicians carry out studies about the Turkish history and the Ottoman and Seljuk history. Turkey supports these scholars and their studies through the Yunus Emre Cultural Centers in other countries. I would like to offer my thanks to international scholars and academicians who create important works and conduct significant studies in order to promote the Turkish culture all over the world. The Orders of Merit we will present to some of these scholars today demonstrate that we appreciate their efforts in this direction at the highest level. I believe that this occasion will further contribute to the fellowship between peoples and cultures.” 

Lauding Feroz Ahmad for his great works on the Ottoman Empire, President Gül said Mr. Ahmad is one of the important names to receive the Order of Merit. Another scholar who will be presented the Order of Merit is Evangelia Balta from Turkey’s neighbor and sister country, Greece. Her valuable works on the Ottoman Empire, he maintained, have created great interest across the world. As for Suraiya Faroqhi, said the President, she is an important professor who comes from a German-Indian family. 

CONTRIBUTIONS OF RECIPIENTS TO TURKISH LANGUAGE 

Praising Professor Cornell Fleischer of Ottoman and Islamic History from the University of Chicago for his impeccable speech in Turkish, President Gül said Prof. Fleischer is known for his important works on Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient. As for Feridun Hamdullahpur, he completed his undergraduate studies and received his master’s program in Turkey, noted President Gül, adding that he is also a distinguished rector of Waterloo University. Another recipient of the Order of Republic is György Hazai, continued the President and he noted that Mr. Hazai is a well-known Turkologist who he said has raised many Turkologist in Hungary. “Whenever I receive Hungarian Ambassadors, they talk to me in Turkish. This really makes me happy very much. Turkology Chairs in Hungarian universities are very successful indeed.” 

STUDIES ON OTTOMAN HISTORY AND CULTURE 

Informing his audience that another Turkologist Fehim Nametak has also conducted studies on Turkish literature and authored books about the relationship between Bosnian literature and the Turkish language, President Gül noted that Machiel Kiel, another scholar to be decorated with the Order of Republic, has produced important works on the Ottoman history and architecture. He further maintained that as for Dimitry Mihalovic Nasılov, he is one of the greatest representatives of the Turkology tradition. He has made greate contributions to Turkish and Turkish culture in Russia through his works on the Cagatay dialect and literature and Ukrainian. Julian Ruby, the President continued, is noted for his studies on the Ottoman culture, Ottoman Turkish china and portraits of the Ottoman Sultans. 

“EVLİYA ÇELEBİ ON THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH” 

Claudia Römer has produced important works on Ottoman and Turkish linguistics, maintained the President and he noted that she has generated great interest in the academia with her book entitled ‘Evliya Çelebi on the 400th Anniversary of His Birth’. As for Tadashi Suzuki, said President Gül, he is considered an authority in the Turkish history. Abdeljelil Temimi, the President said, is a valuable Tunisian academician, who is the founder and chairman of the Research and Archive Center for Ottoman-Maghreb Studies and the Arab Committee for Ottoman Studies. As for Abudurexiti Yakufu, he has carrying out significant studies on the Turkic languages including the Uyghur language, added the President. 

President Gül afterwards extended his thanks to all of these names for their great contributions to Turkey through their important studies and works across the world.

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