Ahimiar Expressed His Passion for Turkey and Turkish
Sudan Khartoum Holy Koran and Islamic Studies University Dean of Faculty of Languages and Turkish Department Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar and Sudan Yunus Emre Enstitüsü Director Feyzullah Bahçe were the guests of “Dost Meclisi” show broadcast on Sound of Turkish Radio.
Alper Tuna hosted the show “Dost Meclisi” on Sound of Turkish Radio and Sudan Khartoum Holy Koran and Islamic Studies University Dean of Faculty of Languages and Turkish Department Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar began his speech greeting all Turks and Turkish students. Stating that he studied languages before arriving in Turkey in 1997, he relayed how he met with Turks for the first time. Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar expressed his passion for Turkey and Turkish as follows: “I observed the Turkish students who moved to Sudan to learn Arabic, and realised that their manners and culture are very similar to ours. I like all about the students and I instantly connected with them. This is why I aspired after learning Turkish. I suddenly found myself in Turkey.”
It was apparent in Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar's speech that he learned Turkish while living in Turkey and the expressions as “Efendime söyleyeyim” (“I mean” in Turkish) he occasionally used in his speech, also moved the team in the station.
Ahimiar spoke as follows:
“We decided to open a Turkish department in Sudan in 2010. There was only one leaf of paper in University Senate. We neither had a curriculum nor a source. But Turks helped and supported us. Yunus Emre Enstitüsü made major contributions and they send us instructors. Currently we teach the fourth grade. We will give graduates soon.”
“OH NO, WHITE PEOPLE WILL EAT ME...”
Sudan Yunus Emre Enstitüsü Director Feyzullah Bahçe, expressing his appreciation for having Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar in Turkey, also marked throughout his one year of office in Sudan, Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar has been the most effective figure with regard to Turkish activities in Sudan. Feyzullah Bahçe said “In fact, Professor Ahmet has a very emotional and meaningful story about Turkey and Turkish,” and invited Ahimiar to share the story. Ahmet Fadullah Ahimiar narrated this moving story as follows:
“I arrived in Turkey in 1997 but believe me I never felt as a stranger, Turkish people made me feel welcome. The only Turkish word I knew back then was 'yok' (no). Africa has invariably been a third world country in the eyes of the white people. We have suffered tremendous oppression. We are a British colony. And I was moving to another 'white' country. My family and relatives were terrified. Turkish Airlines did not have flights to Sudan in the 90s. I travelled with an Arabic Airline. There was a 11 hours layover at Jeddah. We landed in Jeddah and I was waiting for my flight to İstanbul. I went to the kiosk for the procedures. Their language is Arabic. May God show them the way: I handed my passport to the official there and he tossed it to his friend. I was saddened by his behaviour. The fear grew in me that us as Sudanese people were regarded as a lower race. After waiting for 11 hours, finally the announcement for Istanbul flight was made. Everyone gathered and I was the only black person there, rest was white. The audience would understand if they could see me. I am ebony, this is how God created us. I said to myself, 'Oh no, these white people will ear me!'. However people on the plane, those who sat next to me all smiled and nodded to greet me. I was still scared that 'they would eat me'. I utterly panicked upon our landing in Istanbul. This Turkish brother who came to the airport to welcome was holding up a sign with my name on it. I sensed a brotherhood there. He hugged me as if we had known each other for 20 years and had not seen in a long time. I was so relieved when this person I met for the first time welcomed me the way he did. His driver came running to me and took my luggage from my hand respectfully, and he hugged me as well. It is a fact that Anatolian people possess fine traits. Islam's beauty is of course an underlying factor. And this is the brotherhood of Islam...”
