Chinese as second language growing in popularity in Turkey

ISTANBUL – Demirören News Agency

The some 400,000 Chinese tourists who visit Turkey each year have whet Turks’ appetite for learning Chinese.

“There is a great surge in the number of Turkish citizens wanting to learn Chinese. The sale of books teaching Chinese has increased by 30 percent [in Turkey in recent years],” said Haluk Hepkon, owner of Kırmızı Kedi Publishing House. “People from every kind of profession, from tradesmen to students, are buying Chinese teaching book sets.

“There is especially a demand [for learning Chinese] from the Cappadocia region, which is the most favorite area of the Chinese. Also, the Chinese are buying Turkish learning book sets. There is also an increase in these sales,” Hepkon said.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Turkey hit a record of 400,000 last year. If the rate of increase stays at this level, in two years, the number of Chinese coming to Turkey is expected to reach 1 million. And with direct flights from China to Turkey on an increasing trend among Chinese airlines, this number is expected to reach 500,000 this year. 

Parallel to these developments, the Chinese language is on the radar of many Turks now.

In response to the demand, Kırımızı Kedi Publishing House is offering “The Path of Success – Chinese Learning Book Set for Foreigners” for Turkish readers, Hepkon said.

“With the relations between Turkey and China getting stronger thanks to the One Belt Road project,” he said, “the interest of the Turkish reader towards Chinese has increased.”