Sister town relationship extended by language-learning possibilities – May 8, 2016

In the Turkish Cultural Centre of Budapest a ceremonial conclusion of co-operation agreement took place on Friday between the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute, Pendik and the Local Government of Kispest which forms the supplement of the existing sister town agreement and gives assistance for learning Turkish language in Budapest.

The local government of Kispest signed a sister town agreement with Pendik, Turkey (one of districts of Istanbul) six years ago in May 2010. During the last six years these two local governments have arranged a number of cultural, educational and economic programs together. In the past years 120 students from 5 schools of Kispest travelled to Turkey and just as many Turkish students with attendant teachers visited to Kispest – Peter Gajda, mayor summarized the sister town connection of past years. At the solemn signing ceremony he had the pleasure to inform about the long-standing relationship between the two towns. He said, the most intensive connection of Kispest is the Turkish despite the fact that Pendik is the farthest from among its sister towns. Peter Gajda emphasized, this relationship can also help to ease and cease – nowadays so customary – fear of foreigners, other nations and people, resp. by learning other cultures and through human, friendly connections.
Mayor of Pendik, Kenan Şahin, who came to Hungary for the third time, also highly appreciated relationship of the two districts and told he always felt as if he had returned home.
Co-operation agreement signed now by mayors of Pendik and Kispest as well as by Yakup Gült leader of the Turkish Culture Institution forms the supplement of the existing sister town agreement between the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute, Pendik and the Local Government of Kispest. The agreement has been concluded to provide for further trilateral co-operation possibilities (programs, workshop activities, meetings and events) in the field of the Turkish language, culture, arts and sport.
Sakir Fakili, the ambassador of Turkey in Budapest, György Vinczek deputy mayor, Ferenc Teknős and Attila Varga local representatives were also present at the event together with the students of the Bolyai and Kós schools having excellent relations with the sister schools of Pendik for a long time.