Yunus Emre Institute contributes to making Turkish the language of education and career in Uzbekistan, which is among the countries where it carries out large-scale Turkish teaching activities in order to resonate Turkish all over the world on the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

A record number of applications was made from Uzbekistan to the Turkish Proficiency Exam (TPE), developed by the Institute, which is the first and only internationally validated language exam of Turkish, through being certified (Q-mark) by the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE).

As a result of the educational diplomacy activities carried out by the Institute in Uzbekistan, Turkish became the focus of attention of the Uzbeks. More than a thousand candidates from Uzbekistan participated in the exam, in which applications were made from Turkey and different geographies of the world. Candidates who participated in the exam held at Alisher Navo'i Tashkent State University of the Uzbek Language and Literature in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, formed a large crowd in front of the university building.

The Turkish Proficiency Exam, which was made simultaneously at 35 exam centers in 32 countries on August 5, 2023, was held in 3 separate blocks and 39 halls at Alisher Navo'i Tashkent State University of the Uzbek Language and Literature with the participation of more than a thousand candidates.

Rustam Islamov, one of the candidates who participated in the exam, noted that foreign language certificates are requested from those who want to study at universities in Uzbekistan and said that he wants to enter TPE because Turkish is accepted as a foreign language for graduate education in universities in the country.

Stating that he learned Turkish in a short time like 6 months by going to the course, Islamov added that Turkish TV series were also effective in language learning.

 “We were Also Happy That the Record Number of Applications for Our Exam, which Attracted Worldwide Attention, was Made from Uzbekistan”

Yunus Emre Institute Vice President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutalmış Yalçın, regarding the popularity of Turkish in Uzbekistan said: “It is a source of pride for us that Turkey's cultural riches are the center of attraction at the international level with the activities we carry out on the axis of cultural diplomacy and education diplomacy. We were also happy that the record number of applications for our exam, which attracted worldwide attention, was made from Uzbekistan.”

Vice President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yalçın made the following evaluations: “In line with the philosophy of Yunus Emre, the symbolic figure of Turkish, we continue to implement our projects aimed at keeping Turkey's cultural climate alive all over the world in the 100^th anniversary of our Republic.” 

In TPE, the competences of the candidates in reading, listening, writing and speaking skills are measured; candidates who are successful in the Turkish Proficiency Exam are given a "Turkish Proficiency Certificate" at B2 and C1 levels according to their scores.

Candidates who have a Turkish Proficiency Certificate can start their education at universities in Turkey without going to the Turkish preparatory department. The Turkish Proficiency Certificate provides a great advantage for certificate holders in job applications and career planning.

Knowing Turkish has Become A Privilege in Uzbekistan

Turkish, which has been added to the list of languages for which a language allowance is granted in Uzbekistan, has become a key element in the country, as it has an important place in education and career opportunities. Turkish has been also included among the preferred languages throughout the country like Russian and English.

Having the Turkish Proficiency Certificate, which is given to the candidates who are successful in the Turkish Proficiency Exam by the Institute, provides privileges in many areas in Uzbekistan. In addition, Uzbekistanis who have the Turkish Proficiency Certificate, which is accepted as a language proficiency document, can also start postgraduate education in their own country.

The Turkish Proficiency Certificate is the only certificate recognized by local authorities in Uzbekistan to document Turkish language proficiency.