Turkish institute to offer language classes in Ethiopia

A Turkish state institute will start to teach Turkish in three universities in Ethiopia, the institute said on Saturday.

Turkish will be taught at Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University, Mekelle University, and Wollo University, as part of a Turcology project launched by Turkey's Yunus Emre Institute (YEE).

The YEE will teach Turkish at the universities under a cultural and academic cooperation pact signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Ethiopian counterpart Mulatu Teshome Wirtu during his visit to the capital Ankara last February.

Students who do well in the courses will be eligible to attend a Turkish summer school organized by the institute.

The institute provides services abroad to improve friendship between Turkey and other countries and increase cultural exchanges.

Since its establishment in 2009, the institute has taught Turkish to nearly 100,000 people in 43 countries.

Named after the 13th century poet Yunus Emre, it now has nearly 54 cultural centers around the world offering artistic, social and scientific programs.