ANKARA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Growing ties with China have generated a big interest among Turkish people in learning the Chinese language and culture, amid good employment chances after graduation.

"Our graduates have no difficulties in finding a job," Tutku Denizci, a 21-year-old student of the Sinology Department of Ankara University, said to Xinhua.

"Finding a job becomes very easy after graduation as there is a high demand for people who have mastered the Chinese language, culture, and history, mainly because of the good relations between the two countries and their business opportunities," she said.

Denizci wanted to major in both Chinese studies and business administration in order to work for one of the Chinese companies established in Turkey and be able to travel to China to discover with her own eyes what she learns in school.

"In Turkey which has traditionally a pro-Western inclined culture, discovering the Asian culture by means of learning Chinese has been an eye opening adventure," she said with a smile.

Students of the department celebrated the "China Day" on Friday with the attendance of scholars from different academic fields and Shi Ruilin, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Turkey.

Enthusiastic students presented songs, dances and short stories in Chinese, winning applause from the audience.

"I chose Chinese studies because China has become a major player in the world politically, economically and culturally," said Giorgi Gok, a 19-year-old student who got a good reaction from the crowd when he interpreted Chinese songs.

Gok, who speaks Turkish and Russian due to a mixed family, said that finding a job with Chinese speaking skill would be easy after graduation.

"Later on, I would like to work in public relations, preferably for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China," which also has several branches in Turkish cities, he said, adding that he would also like to move to China for an exchange year in a university in Beijing or Shanghai.

Gurhan Kirilen, an associate professor and head of the Sinology department, contributed to the China Day event by accompanying the songs with his guitar, and he was proud of his students.

"They really enjoy the teachings that we are offering," he said, adding that "the interest for the Chinese culture is going hand in hand."

Turks now can learn Chinese language in at least 10 universities across the country, mainly in big cities such as Istanbul and Ankara, as well as in private Chinese language teaching programs.

Each year, China grants scholarships to Turkish university students who have excelled in their studies of Chinese language.

Volkan Guzel, 21, wants to follow in the footsteps of such students and go to China to further his studies. "China is a great civilization with a great culture, and learning about the country should not be limited to its language alone," he said.

"I really enjoy my studies here and I believe that more and more young people are interested in Sinology, because China is the fastest growing country in the world and has lots of opportunities to offer," added the sophomore. Enditem

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