It was a dream come true to come to İstanbul and discover the legendary Roman ruins and Ottoman achievements that I told my students about. Moreover, the program offered me the opportunity to learn Turkish. As an Islamologist and historian of Islam who speaks Arabic, French and English, this in itself is useful for me. When I came, I had in mind to study Ottoman after learning Turkish. As a lover of Islamic manuscripts and an archivist, I saw the Katip program as an opportunity for my future research.
In the KATİP program, we received language training from qualified teachers. But beyond all this, KATİP helped me make new friends that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't stayed in Türkiye. How could I be friends with a diplomat from Laos, a researcher from Argentina, a translator from Burkina Faso or an academic from Uzbekistan. Thanks to KATİP for making this friendship possible.