On February 6th of this year, Turkey experienced a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8, resulting in significant disaster and substantial economic damage to the affected areas. Two Turkish alumni from our university, Ali Eymen Aykut and Ahmet Salih Aykut, who graduated from the Department of Diplomacy and International Relations this year, recently visited the earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey on behalf of Tamkang University. They donated the proceeds from a charity sale conducted on campus. During their visit, they met with and paid their respects to two mayors and a university president in the affected region, all of whom praised Tamkang University for its support.

Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Hsiao-Chuan Chen, explained that from May 2nd to May 5th this year when an earthquake struck Turkey, several international students were concerned about the recovery efforts needed in their homeland. They organized a charity market to raise funds and invited the Taiwan Türkiye Friendship Association to participate in the event. Ali recently brought the funds back to Turkey and handed them over to the Turkish government. Kahramanmaras Istiklal University, a public university located in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, also expressed a request for future cooperation with our university.

The fundraising event held during their stay in Taiwan garnered attention from Turkish national news networks and other media. The Turkish national news network recorded a video report on the event. Ali and Ahmet, the two brothers, came to Taiwan to study during the pandemic and were impressed by Taiwan's excellent healthcare system. They also received attentive care from the staff at the Office of International Affairs during their time at the university. They participated in various international student activities, performed at the Spring Festival Gala, and engaged in Chinese language learning activities at Tamkang University, all of which left them with unforgettable memories. Thanks to their positive experiences in Taiwan, they are enthusiastic about assisting in fostering cooperation and connections between Turkey and Taiwan.