Thursday, June 14, 2012

Ankara

After eating our standard breakfast at the hotel this morning, we immediately headed out for a meeting at TRT-Haber Television. The Director of TRT News gave us a presentation about his channel and we were able to meet with another visiting group from America - a group of legislators - from Tennessee!

We headed for another news station - Kanal A ("Channel A") - and met with their General Director over tea before being treated to a tour of a news studio right before a live broadcast!

Lunch was fantastic, of course, and everybody filled themselves to the brim (yet again) before we made our way to the Turkish Parliament. While there, we met with an official (roughly the equivalent of a Senator) named Abdul Kerim Gok and discussed the education systems in both the U.S. and Turkey in addition to our economies and other pressing issues. It was a fantastic and substantive meeting in which the teachers and students were able to ask questions and interact with Mr. Gok, a very kind yet passionate official with a background as an educator, intensively.

We were then able to actually enter the Turkish Parliament and witness the government officials while they were in session! It was a very unique and spectacular opportunity.

Proceeding our tour of the Turkish Parliament, we went to Samanyolu Lisesi (High School) and were not only given a tour of the school and its facilities by the Assistant Director but even fed a wonderful meal that not only included the standard tasty salad, bread, lentil soup, and entree of meat and rice but wonderful, fresh Turkish fruits (and tea, of course)! The students and even some teachers and Group Leaders played volleyball and basketball with some Samanyolu students and each other. It was a blast!

Brianna Weber (TN Winner, 5th from right) and teacher Taryn Bryant (second from left) with visiting group of TN legislators at TRT-Haber!

The Group at TRT-Haber 

Kanal A Meeting


Kanal A Group Shot



Meeting with Mr. Gok

With Government Official outside of the Turkish Parliament



Outside of Turkish Parliament




It was yet another busy yet amazing day. Tomorrow morning we drive to Kayseri!

1 comment:

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