Yunus Emre Institute continues to host and share the stories of those whose paths cross with Turkish language and culture in its over 80 foreign representative offices around the world.

Velda Öztaş, who lives in Slovakia, travels from Slovakia to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, two days a week to learn Turkish and attends Turkish courses at Budapest Yunus Emre Institute.

“TURKISH HELPED ME FIND MY IDENTITY”

Öztaş, who was able to communicate with his relatives in Turkish after learning the language, said: "Turkish helped me find my identity."

Born in 1976 in Istanbul, Velda Öztaş continues to strengthen her ties with Turkish culture by participating in cultural activities as well as Turkish courses organized by Budapest Yunus Emre Institute.

A STORY FROM TURKEY TO SLOVAKIA

Velda Öztaş told her story from Turkey to Slovakia as:

"I was born in Istanbul in 1976. When my mother returned from Istanbul to Slovakia, I stayed in Istanbul with my father, grandfather and sister. Two years later, we returned to Slovakia. My mother raised us as Slovaks. After 1994, when my father passed away, we forgot about Turkish. One day when I went to Budapest for work, I met with a Turkish friend. My friend told me that Yunus Emre Institute offers Turkish language courses. As soon as I learned about these courses, I started learning Turkish by attending the Institute’s courses. Language is identity and Turkish helped me find mine.”

"TURKISH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I AM TURKISH"

Regarding her love for Turkey and Turkish, Öztaş said: "I travel from Slovakia to Budapest for an hour and a half twice a week. Turkish is very important to me because I am Turkish. Now I chat with my friends in Turkish and often go to Istanbul. I want to visit and see many cities in Turkey."