The Historical Development and Role of Turkology Centers in the Central Balkans and Their Impact on Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language

Turkish has always been a matter of curiosity and need outside the borders of the Republic of Turkey. Turkology, which investigates Turk- ishness, the Turkish language and dialects, as well as Turkish culture, civilization, and history, started to develop as a discipline in 19th-century Europe before quickly gaining prevalence. The study of Turkish as a scientific language in the Balkan geography started after the Ottoman Empire had withdrawn from these lands. The first Turkology center in the Balkan geography was established at the University of Belgrade, and the primary purpose behind its establishment was the Serbs’ need to know Turkish to be able to understand their own language and cul- ture. After Belgrade, Turkology centers were opened in other Balkan cities such as Sarajevo and Skopje, and various studies were also being carried out. This study aims to reveal the establishment and historical development of Turkology as a branch of science in the central Balkan countries. Alongside the Turkology centers, the study also discusses the history of teaching Turkish as a foreign language (TTFL) in this region by using qualitative research methods. Based on the obtained data, two main reasons are seen to have emerged for Turkology studies to begin in central Balkan countries. The first has been concluded as the need for the Turkish language to carry out more detailed studies on their language and culture. The second is the presence of the indigenous Turkish people living in North Macedonia and Kosovo.