Gambian soldiers learn Turkish to receive training in Turkey
Gambia Armed Forces personnel receive Turkish lessons at the "Atatürk classroom" at the Gambia Armed Forces Training School in Fajara and can also access Turkish resources at the "Atatürk library".
Since 2020, 555 Gambian Armed Forces personnel have received Turkish language training at the Gambia Armed Forces Training School.
Atmaca Polat, who went to Gambia as a teacher in 2020 with the Education Cooperation Protocol signed between the Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Maarif Foundation, is teaching Turkish to 22 military students.
Polat, who teaches Turkish to his students so that they can receive military training in Turkey, stated in his statement that they started the lessons on October 7, 2024 and said, "We aim to reach our students to the B2 level after this training, which will last approximately 40 weeks."
Gambia Military Advisor Infantry Staff Colonel Anıl Aksoy also talked about the soldiers from the Gambian army who are learning Turkish.
Aksoy stated that military relations with Gambia began in 1991 when the first Turkish Gendarmerie Training Team arrived in Gambia, and said, "As of this date, we can say that the military training of the Gambia Armed Forces personnel, and therefore their language training, began. Since 1991, 160 Gambia Armed Forces personnel of various ranks have received Turkish language training in language schools in our country."
Aksoy, who also mentioned the Turkish language training given in Gambia, said, "Within the scope of the Education Cooperation Protocol signed between our Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Maarif Foundation on October 20, 2020, 555 Gambian Armed Forces personnel were given Turkish language training at the Atatürk classroom in the Gambia Training School Barracks where we are still located."
Aksoy emphasized that their duty in Gambia was to ensure that the military experience they had gained was shared with other countries.
Aksoy underlined that they contributed to the relations between the two countries through language education and noted the following:
"With the Turkish language education we provide to the Gambian Armed Forces, we are first of all establishing a bridge of communication. Language education contributes to the transfer of military experience as well as bringing the relations between the two countries closer. We attach importance to our Turkish being spoken in every region of the world."
Aksoy said that the staff also benefited from the Turkish and English resources in the Atatürk Library.
Aksoy, who stated that the library was renewed by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in 2024, said, "In our library, there are Turkish and English military manuals and brochures, history and research books, and also novels in order to maintain the language skills of personnel who received Turkish training in the Gambian army. Not only the training school personnel, but all Gambian Armed Forces personnel can benefit from the library."
Khadije Balde, who is receiving Turkish language training at the Gambia Training School Barracks, said, "When I finish this course, I will receive military training in Turkey next year. That's why I am learning Turkish, I love Turkey very much."
TRT Haber
