THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING TURKISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN EUROPE IN THE 18TH CENTURY: ECOLE DES ENFANTS DE LANGUE D’ISTANBUL IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE (1669-1873) XVIII. YüZYIL AVRUPA’SINDA YABANCI D L OLARAK TüRK E RET M N N NEM : OSMANLI MPARATORLU U’NDA STANBUL FRANSIZ D L O LANLARI OKULU (1669-1873)

S z konusu al mam zda, Frans z Hükümeti’nin Do u dilleri tercümanlar yeti tirmek amac yla 1669’da stanbul’da kurdu u Do u Dilleri O lanlar okulunun yakla k olarak bir yüzy la kadar yay lan tarihi, Türk enin yabanc dil olarak retilmesinde kullan lan y ntemler ve okulun ama ve hedefleri incelenmi tir. Hi ku kusuz ad ge en okul Türk enin yabanc dil olarak retilmesi tarihinin en nemli yap ta n olu turmaktad r. Do u dilleri okulunun en nemli zelli i Frans z uyruklu rencilerine kü ük ya lardan itibaren stanbul’da Türk dili ve kültürünü retmektir. S z konusu renciler ilerleyen y llarda uluslararas ili kilerde diplomat ve evirmen olarak nemli g revler alm ve Osmanl kültürü ile Avrupa kültürü aras nda bir k prü olu turmu lard r. This study is intended to analyze the nearly one-century history of the School of Infants of Eastern Languages, which was founded by the French government in Istanbul in 1669 with the aim of training interpreters of eastern languages, and the methods employed to teach Turkish as a foreign language as well as the purposes and targets of the school. Doubtless, the school in question forms the most important cornerstone of the history of teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The most significant quality of the school of eastern languages is that it teaches its students, who are citizens of France, the Turkish culture and language in Istanbul from their early ages onwards. These students have undertaken important tasks and positions in the forthcoming years as diplomats and interpreters in field of international affairs, thus bridging the Ottoman culture and European culture.