Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language Certificate Program was opened in cooperation with Gazi University Distance Education Application and Research Center (GUZEM) and Turkish Learning, Research and Application Center (TÖMER). Our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız, Coordinator of University Education and External Relations Prof. Dr. İhsan Kalenderoğlu, Director of TÖMER Prof. Dr. Nezir Temur and Director of GUZEM Prof. Dr. Mutlu Tahsin Üstündağ participated in the opening of the program, which will be carried out online through the GUZEM learning management system.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız, said in his opening speech that millions of people around the world are in demand for Turkish. Stating that they are trying to fulfill their duties for Turkish, Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız said, "Gazi University, which is one of the first universities of the Republic and the first institution that comes to mind when it comes to education, also leads the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language thanks to its strong accumulation, academic staff, technical infrastructure and centers that are actively involved in the field and practice."

Our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız said that the certificate program will be useful for participants to be informed about current theories and practices.Prof. Dr. Yıldız stated that the participants will feel the difference of benefiting from the practice in the theoretical courses given by TÖMER, who has pioneered the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language since 1994, and the experienced lecturers at our university's faculties.

Thanking the participants of the certificate program for their sensitivity, Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız said that, “This certificate program is likely to give you more than just   opening the door to you in a job application; we know that you will pass through the gateway to anywhere in the world with Turkish and wave the flag of Turkey and from today onwards it is in no doubt that you will adequately perform this heavy but honorable responsibility. We are always with you to experience the same importance of being a 'Gazili' and show your distinctness."

Director of TÖMER Prof. Dr. Nezir Temur said that this certificate program has two separate firsts in terms of being an online and independent certificate program.Prof. Dr. Nezir Temur said that experience will be shared by experienced faculty members rather than just a transfer of knowledge in the certificate program. Prof. Dr. Nezir Temur said that Turkey's first "Turkish as a Foreign Language Curriculum" signed this week by Minister of National Education Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk and digital course materials belonging to TÖMER will also be shared with the participants.

Director of GUZEM Prof. Dr. Mutlu Tahsin Üstündağ said that as GUZEM, we are working to maintain education programs smoothly through distance education. Stating that he is very proud on behalf of our University because the certificate program was the first, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ stated that GUZEM will always support the participants in order to successfully complete the certificate program.

The certificate program continued with the opening lecture given by Prof. Dr. Yavuz Kartallıoğlu, Director of Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Education and Turkology Center and Faculty Member of Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.

The Certificate Program for teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language will be held in the form of online courses between 14^th-29^th of December. In the program, which includes 30 hours of theoretical and 20 hours of application, courses will be given by the faculty members working at TÖMER and who are experts in their field. At the end of the training, participants will receive a "certificate.”