The study of Turkish allows students to experience a rare synthesis of Asia and Europe. Turkey is the spot where two continents converge, and it has been home to a rich variety of civilizations, housing 18 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Turkey is the second largest TV series exporter in the world behind the US. Turkish unlocks students’ unique insights into (non) material cultures of Turkish-speaking people. It is a critical language for the U.S., and proficiency in Turkish is increasingly valuable to governments and other organizations in West Asia and Europe. Turkish is currently the second most spoken language in Austria and Germany as a result of guest worker agreement. Learning Turkish will make it more accessible to master Ottoman and other Turkic languages. For further information, Turkish – UW-Madison Languages – UW–Madison (wisc.edu) or contact Nalan Erbil: erbil@wisc.edu
Students can also study Turkish in the summer at the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI).
In addition, the Turkish Flagship Language Initiative (TURFLI) is a special initiative of the Boren Awards for International Study offering awardees the opportunity for intensive language study of Turkish and for cultural immersion by participating in domestic and overseas language programs. Contact the TURFLI office in Madison with questions: 608-263-3981 or turfli@iris.wisc.edu