Visit of His Excellency, Mr. Koksal Toptan, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

Sarajevo, April 10th

His Excellency, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mr. Koksal Toptan delivered informative public lecture at the International University of Sarajevo on April 10, 2009. Mr. Toptan was warmly welcomed by more than 200 distinguished guests, professors, students and administrative personals. His state visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina and a lecture delivered at IUS were extensively covered by the local and the foreign media. This visit as well as visits of the Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister illustrate the significance Turkish high ranking official assign to IUS educational and cultural project. At first Mr. Toptan and his delegation were received in the Rector’s Office where they met members of the Board of Trustees and the top management of the University. The program continued in the IUS Conference Hall with the welcoming speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Erturul Tacgin, the Rector of IUS. Apart from expressing sincere gratitude to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly for his visit, Professor Tacgin also presented University’s grand achievements, the construction of a new campus and University’s future plans. Then, with prolonged applause from the audience as a sign of sincere welcome, Mr. Toptan began his speech. He emphasized sustainable development of both countries and a need for young and well-educated graduates. In this regard he rightly pointed out that IUS students from Turkey are ambassadors of their country and Turkey will need their knowledge and cultural experience in order to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. At the end of the program Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mr. Koksal Toptan was presented with a token of appreciation by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Erturul Tacgin.