During the KATİP program, my main goal was to learn Turkish as a public official from Laos. However, I gained much more than just language skills. In addition to learning Turkish history, culture, and politics, I had the opportunity to exchange ideas with other participants from around the world about our own cultures and perspectives. Although Turkish was difficult for me compared to my mother tongue and other languages like French and English, I found it to be a beautiful language with a logical structure. Overall, the KATİP program was an invaluable experience that taught me much more than just language.
Despite the difficult times caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and the global competition that can affect Türkiye, YTB still organized cultural trips to Ankara and Cappadocia, as well as various trips within İstanbul. This allowed me to experience the kindness and generosity of this colorful and wonderful country, even during a time of confusion for many developed nations. YTB made every effort to accommodate me, and I am grateful for this opportunity.
As Laos and Türkiye, I visited many Turkish government institutions that I hope will have deep relations in certain areas with the potential of these two countries. In addition, the fact that I have visited historical places from ancient times to the time of the Republic of Türkiye showed me that Türkiye is a country of civilizations from past to present.