WCA Requests Ministry of Tourism to add Aramaic as a Language for Certified Tour Guides in Türkiye
After the recent meeting with Türkiye's Minister of Culture and Tourism, the WCA followed up on one of its questions. The below letter is the formal request to introduce Aramaic as a language for certified tour guides. Because "there is a growing need for it...[it] will show the world Türkiye’s ongoing appreciation of its diverse national heritage. Also, it will attract many thousands of Arameans from Europe to Australia and from America to the Middle East to regularly visit their homeland and be guided in their mother tongue."
To [...] Turkish Union of Tourist Guides Chambers (TUREB)
To [...] Research and Education General Directorate
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye
Dear [...],
Upon the kind invitation of Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, whom I’m humbled to call a longstanding and dear friend, I gratefully participated in the second Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) successfully held last week from 11 to 13 March.
In the panel Preserving Cultural Heritage in a Digital Age, I highlighted some of the riches of the Aramaic cultural heritage as an integral part of Türkiye’s wealthy heritage. Furthermore, to the President and the Government of Türkiye I expressed the gratitude of the Aramean people, who are native as you know to the Tur-Abdin region in Southeast Türkiye, for nominating nine of our monasteries and churches for UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The same gratefulness I was able to convey personally to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, H.E. Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. Before the ADF began, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of meeting him (see https://twitter.com/MehmetNuriErsoy/status/1502242334918037507).
It is heartening that the Minister, too, values our cultural heritage as an enrichment to Türkiye. Among the points we spoke about, one of which I would like to bring to your attention, is that TUREB offers exams to certified tourist guides in 19 “rare languages” (“nadir dil”), but not yet in Aramaic (Aramice or Süryanice in Turkish) although there is a growing need for it.
H.E. Mr. Ersoy responded favorably to my request whether Aramaic can also be added to these “rare languages.” He advised to contact TUREB to look into the matter of introducing Aramaic, too, as an official language in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Tour guides in our native language will show the world Türkiye’s ongoing appreciation of its diverse national heritage. Also, it will attract many thousands of Arameans from Europe to Australia and from America to the Middle East to regularly visit their homeland and be guided in their mother tongue.
Our NGO is excited to cooperate with your Ministry to promote the Aramaic cultural heritage as one of Türkiye’s hidden pearls.
We thank you kindly in advance for your consideration and positive decision to receive and guide our dispersed people back home in their native language.
Yours sincerely,
Johny Messo
President
World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
To Mr. Suat Tural, President of Turkish Union of Tourist Guides Chambers (TUREB)
To Mr. Isa Satar, Head of the Research and Education General Directorate
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye
Request to Introduce Aramaic as
a Language for Certified Tour Guides
Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Dear Mr. Tural and Mr. Satar,
Upon the kind invitation of Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, whom I’m humbled to call a longstanding and dear friend, I gratefully participated in the second Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) successfully held last week from 11 to 13 March.
In the panel Preserving Cultural Heritage in a Digital Age, I highlighted some of the riches of the Aramaic cultural heritage as an integral part of Türkiye’s wealthy heritage. Furthermore, to the President and the Government of Türkiye I expressed the gratitude of the Aramean people, who are native as you know to the Tur-Abdin region in Southeast Türkiye, for nominating nine of our monasteries and churches for UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The same gratefulness I was able to convey personally to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, H.E. Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. Before the ADF began, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of meeting him (see https://twitter.com/MehmetNuriErsoy/status/1502242334918037507).
It is heartening that the Minister, too, values our cultural heritage as an enrichment to Türkiye. Among the points we spoke about, one of which I would like to bring to your attention, is that TUREB offers exams to certified tourist guides in 19 “rare languages” (“nadir dil”), but not yet in Aramaic (Aramice or Süryanice in Turkish) although there is a growing need for it.
H.E. Mr. Ersoy responded favorably to my request whether Aramaic can also be added to these “rare languages.” He advised to contact TUREB to look into the matter of introducing Aramaic, too, as an official language in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Tour guides in our native language will show the world Türkiye’s ongoing appreciation of its diverse national heritage. Also, it will attract many thousands of Arameans from Europe to Australia and from America to the Middle East to regularly visit their homeland and be guided in their mother tongue.
Our NGO is excited to cooperate with your Ministry to promote the Aramaic cultural heritage as one of Türkiye’s hidden pearls.
Yours sincerely,
Johny Messo
President
World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)