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7k kids gathered. Their parents make teach them Turkish.
(26 Apr 2017) LEADIN:
Thousands of Bosnian children have attended a festival celebrating Turkey.
The youngsters are all studying the Turkish language.
STORYLINE:
It's a day for Bosnians to honour Turkish culture.
Crowds of children are descending on a sports hall in Zenica for this annual festival organised by the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
It celebrates the spread of the country's culture and language to foreign nations and the 7,000 youngsters here today all study Turkish.
Inside, the venue is packed and the children wave Turkish and Bosnian flags.
There's even a celebrity in the audience - child actress Isabella Damla Guvenilir waves to her fans.
They recognise her from the Turkish soap opera 'Elif'.
Nabi Avci, Minister of Culture for Turkey, addresses the audience.
"Above all, I wish to thank your mothers and fathers who persuaded you to start learning the Turkish language," he tells them.
Bosnia and Turkey have strong historical links.
The spread of the Ottoman Empire centuries ago left Islam and Turkish traditions firmly routed in Bosnian society.
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