Awards of the Students Learning about the EU Project Competitions are Given
Awards of painting, slogan, short-story, and quiz competitions of Students Learning about the EU Project, which is supervised by Ministry of National Education, are given in Ankara. On 26th of May, Thursday, an award ceremony took place in Council Hall of MoNE and secondary school students, their teachers, principals, provincial directors, and MoNE staff from all corners of Turkey attended it. Along with Deputy Minister of National Education and high level officials of the Ministry, Deputy Head of Delegation of European Union to Turkey, Béla Szombati, and Acting Head of Central Finance and Contracts Units, Emine Döğer, also participated in the ceremony. The ceremony ended with opening of the exhibition where winners of painting, slogan, and short-story competitions were exhibited.
Presenter of the ceremony was Tolga Gariboğlu and opening speech was given by General Director of EU and Foreign Relations, MoNE, Funda Kocabıyık, as the host. Kocabıyık expressed that students have impressed them with their knowledge and said “This year, there was much interest in painting, slogan, and short-story competitions which we conducted within scope of our project. Our jury had a tough time in choosing the winners of competitions. All of the submitted works are precious to us. Your enthusiasm encourages us to do better things.”
Deputy Minister of National Education, Orhan Erdem, emphasized on acceptance of EU values in Turkey and expressed that education came foremost among these. “When we reach a certain level in education, we also attain a better place in human rights, health, and justice and can understand each other” he said. “As Turkish people, we have positive attributes compared to EU countries as well as a lack in order and planning” Erdem reminded audience and went on by saying “We don’t have any problems with regard to human rights. Our generation has given up hope on EU membership, no country can be patient for 55 years.”
“A person is enemy of whom he doesn’t know”
Erdem expressed that they give utmost importance to participation of students to the competitions and said “We know that having top places is important but symbolic. Because our children who participated in these competitions and wrote, painted, and found slogans will become writers, artists, managers who have confidence in themselves in the future.” Erdem mentioned that number of students in Turkey is more than total population of many countries in the EU and with this project, a huge part of population is reached with regard to presentation of the EU. Erdem reminded audience the saying attributed to his holiness Ali “A person is enemy of whom he doesn’t know” and stated that those students who have a higher awareness on EU will better express our country to the EU.
Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, Béla Szombati, on the other hand, emphasized on the fact that not only the ranking students but anybody who participated in competitions were all winners. “Students impressed all of us with the works they created for competitions. We believe so, artists and writers of future is in this hall right now” he said and went on saying “as those who participate in these activities also know, EU is not a perfect organization, however, despite all its flaws, it’s one the most beautiful ideas that is created by humans in terms of democracy and human rights. 15 years ago I hoped my country would join the EU. Now, I hope the same thing for your country.” He expressed that because of these competitions, many young people has gained a deeper knowledge of the EU and said “Within this framework they gained crucial knowledge on EU’s fundamental values like peace, equality, freedom, human rights, security, unity, cooperation and its fundamental principles, EU-Turkey relations, cooperation, and Turkey’s efforts with regard to accession.”
Acting Head of project’s contracting authority Central Finance and Contracts Units, Emine Döğer, also informed the audience on project’s process. After presentation of awards and opening of the exhibition, ceremony ended.
Award of the competition is a 5 day study visit to an EU country
National Finals of Students Learning about the EU Project “I’m Learning the EU” Quiz Competition took place on 25th of May 2016 in Council Hall of MoNE. The winners of “I’m Learning the EU” quiz competition and “Tell Me about the EU” painting, slogan, and short-story competitions that took the first three places in each category, a total of 21 students, earned study 5 day long visit to an EU country. “Technical Assistance for Students Learning about the EU Common Values, Fundamental Rights and Policies” Project involves many activities as well as quiz, painting, slogan, and short-story competitions in order to increase awareness on the EU among students and public. It has a budget of 3 million 256 thousand Euro and will last between December 2014 and December 2016.
Below you can see the winners in four categories:
SLOGAN
- The first place of slogan competition is taken by Tuğba Edaş from Ankara Üçer Middle School with her slogan “Let Turkey Add Rhythm to the Composition Called EU”.
- The second place of slogan competition is taken by Aslı Bingöl from Antalya Melahat Faraçlar Middle School with her slogan “Different Cultures, Stronger Together”.
- The third place of slogan competition is taken by Fatih Aksoy from Burdur Centre of Science and Arts with his slogan “Cooperation, Unity of Power, European Union”.
PAINTING
- Salime Çiçek from Iğdır Tacirli Middle School has the first place for painting competition.
- Mahmut Korkmaz from Şanlıurfa Mehmet Saçlı Middle School has the first place for painting competition.
- Nagihan Gümüş from Burdur Mehmetçik Middle School has the first place for painting competition.
SHORT-STORY
- The first place is taken by Nevzer Karaman from İzmir Dr. Güngör Özbek Anatolian High School with her short-story titled “An Englishman in Aladağ”
- The second place is taken by Ayşe Akyol from Trabzon Tevfik Serdar Anatolian High School with her short-story titled “Journey to Hope”
- The third place is taken by Oğuzhan Kartal from Manisa High School of Social Sciences with his short-story titled “Balloons of the Lost City”
QUIZ COMPETITION
1. VAN
İPEKYOLU İMKB SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Muhammed Gültekin
Zehra Yaman
Ferhat Teke
Birhat Turğut
2. ŞANLIURFA
SURUÇ HIGH SCHOOL
Hasan Ali GÖÇÜK
Muhammed Emin KÜÇÜK
Emine KAPLAN
Mehmet Fatih ÇEBEL
3. EDİRNE
KEŞAN HIGH SCHOOL
Kutay Cem Özel
Emre Gündüz
Hanife İrem Engin
Hasancan Sınalı
Project’s Social Media Accounts:
