Skopje, 10 November 2022 (MIA) - A Macedonian Language Department opened at the Ankara University with a first promotional class at the Faculty of Languages, History and Geography on Wednesday. The new department opens almost 15 years after the last one at the University of Rijeka. "A new Macedonian department and a new Macedonian language lectorate are starting to work at a foreign university - at the prestigious Ankara University in Turkey. Yesterday, the hall of the Faculty of Languages, History and Geography of Ankara University was small to gather all those who were interested in attending the first promotional class in Macedonian language. This is concrete confirmation that efforts and investments to intensify and advance cooperation with foreign higher education and scientific institutions are already yielding noticeable results in the development of Macedonian studies abroad, now also with the opening of new foreign Macedonian centers," says director of international seminar on Macedonian language, literature and culture at the University "St. Cyril and Methodius", professor Vesna Mojsova-Chepishevska. In addition to a large number of students, the lecture was attended by members of the Association of Turks of Macedonian descent interested in learning the Macedonian language. The class was held by Darko Temelkoski and the organization of the event was coordinated by the head of the Macedonian Language Department, professor Melahat Pars, who emphasized that a great interest in Macedonian studies can be expected at Ankara University. Through the opening of the Macedonian Language Department at the Ankara University, Macedonian studies are already present at two leading universities in Turkey. Macedonian language, literature and culture have been studied for 36 years now at the Faculty of Literature of the Istanbul University, during which the Department of Macedonian Language, which is now headed by professor Turkan Olcaj, who together with the head of the Department of Slavic Studies, professor Emine Inanir and the lecturer in Macedonian language, Gabriela Ivanovska, managed to put the Macedonian language on the list of languages that can be studied by all students at the University. dk/ik/