An EU Delegation of Ambassadors to Turkey visited Tarsus American College
A MEANINGFUL VISIT BY THE EU DELEGATION OF TURKEY TO THE TAC CAMPUS
Tarsus American College, one of the longest-established schools of Turkey, was visited by a delegation of about 20 ambassadors on December 9, 2016. The delegation which included Christian Berger, the Chair of the EU Delegation, as well as ambassadors of Slovakia, Austria, Lithuania, France, and the Netherlands visited the 128-year-old campus of Tarsus American College while receiving a briefing about the school’s history and programs. They also had conversations with TAC students from various grade levels.
The current holder of the European Union Term Presidency, which is renewed in every six months, is Slovakia. Emir Bozkaya, TAC 93 graduate who is also the Honorary Consul of Slovakia in Mersin, contacted the Embassy of Slovakia in Turkey, providing his suggestions on the positive impact of a visit scheduled in Adana and Mersin.
The Embassy, the Honorary Consulate in Mersin and the EU Delegation to Turkey then collaborated to make a visit schedule for these two cities to meet with businessmen, representatives of non-governmental organizations and educational institutions, as well as the city protocole members. The Ambassadors of all EU member states in our country were invited to attend the programme.
PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSAL EDUCATION
The EU delegation in Turkey included TAC, one of the longest established schools in Turkey with thousands of graduates having taken up leadership positions in Turkey and the world, in their visit. The group of 20 diplomats which included the ambassadors of Slovakia, Austria, Lithuania, France, Netherlands, led by Christian Berger, the Chair of the EU Delegation, was given a tour of the historic campus of Tarsus American College.
The delegation then met with the students. TAC’s Business Director Mustafa Özünlü opened the session by summarizing the mission of the school as “raising confident global citizens who are adept at self-expression and who show commitment to national values and Ataturk ideals”. A group of TAC students presented to our guests the IBDP, international clubs such as MUN and ISTA, Tarsus American College National Education Forum (TACEF), TAC Live, community service projects, ECHO band and athletics activities. Then Dr. Ali Cerrahoğlu, the President of the TAC Alumni Association, took the floor to talk about the alumni scholarship fund which allows students coming from financial difficulties to study at TAC. Christian Berger and Anna Turenicova, the Ambassador of Slovakia, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, expressed their admiration of the school campus and their pleasure in meeting with the principle of universal education upheld by TAC. They wished our school the best in maintaining the modern education philosophy under the guidance of the school vision and mission.
The list of the Ambassadors and other diplomats who visited TAC:
Rt Hon Christian Berger, Chair of the EU Delegation
Rt Hon Klaus Wölfer, Ambassador of Austria
Rt Hon Leemet Paulson, Assistant Deputy to the Mission President, the Embassy of Estonia
Rt Hon Paivi Kairamo, Ambassador of Finland
Rt Hon Charles Fries, Ambassador of France
Rt Hon Ivan Picukariç, Acting Ambassador of Croatia
Rt Hon Cornelis van Rij, Ambassador of the Netherlands
Rt Hon Orlagh Condron, Deputy to the Assistant Chief of the Mission, the Embassy of Ireland
Rt Hon Pablo Barbara, Deputy to the Assistant Chief of the Mission, the Embassy of Spain
Rt Hon Johan Baverbrant, Assistant Chief of the Mission, the Embassy of Sweden
Rt Hon Peteris Elferts, Ambassador of Latvia
Rt Hon Audrius Bruzga, Ambassador to Lithuania
Rt Hon Maciej Lang, Ambassador of Poland
Rt Hon Leandro Amado, Deputy to the Assistant Chief of the Mission, the Embassy of Portugal
Rt Hon Gabriel-Catalin Sopanda, Ambassador of Romania
Rt Hon Anna Turenicova, Ambassador of Slovakia