The History of Foreign Language Policies in Turkey

AbstractDuring history, language policies were shaped according to the commercial, geographical and most importantly religious reasons. This situation is true for every other country in the world as well as Turkey. Language teaching and learning in Turkey has always been an important issue since the Ottoman Empire. The countries which were in relation with the Empire had a strong effect on the choices of the foreign languages taught. People living on these lands have always tried to learn the languages of the countries they have relations with. Governments worldwide have produced specific policies covering languages in education, so have Turkey. In Turkey in order to maintain international communication and to catch up with the new developments, English has become the inevitable tool for people, especially for the young population. The aim of this study is to look at the development of foreign language studies in Turkish history and have a critical look at the issue in order to understand the reasons of the ever changing foreign language policies in Turkey