President Bush to Turkish West Point grad: "Congratulations Mahmut"
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 29, 2006 09:53
The 15th Turkish student to ever graduate from the renowned US miltary academy West Point did so Saturday, receiving his diploma directly from the hands of US President George W. Bush, who addressed this year's graduating class.
21 year old Mahmut Durmaz from Izmir, who will return to Turkey to start duty as a lieutenant in the Turkish armed forces, said that he was proud that Bush had commented "I congratulate you, Mahmut," as he handed him his diploma.
Durmaz's journey to attend West Point in the US began after he finished the Turkish Isiklar Military School in Turkey, and then successfully completed the rigorous exams necessary to enter West Point. Durmaz told the Hurriyet "My father is a construction worker, and when I was little, my older brother and I would help him by working together on constructions sites. It is an incredible feeling for me, as the son of a construction worker, to come to America, graduate from West Point, and then receive my diploma directly from the hands of President Bush." Durmaz's parents were not able to fly from Izmir to the US for his graduation ceremony due to financial reasons, but relatives from Germany were there for his proud day.
Durmaz's journey to attend West Point in the US began after he finished the Turkish Isiklar Military School in Turkey, and then successfully completed the rigorous exams necessary to enter West Point. Durmaz told the Hurriyet "My father is a construction worker, and when I was little, my older brother and I would help him by working together on constructions sites. It is an incredible feeling for me, as the son of a construction worker, to come to America, graduate from West Point, and then receive my diploma directly from the hands of President Bush." Durmaz's parents were not able to fly from Izmir to the US for his graduation ceremony due to financial reasons, but relatives from Germany were there for his proud day.