Türkiye and Syria have formally entered into an agreement to establish and operate cultural centers within each other's borders. This new legal framework allows for Turkish cultural centers to function across Syrian territory, with a primary focus on providing Turkish-language instruction and promoting Turkish culture.
Nuh Yilmaz, the Turkish ambassador to Damascus, highlighted the development on Thursday, stating that the relationship between the two nations is progressing rapidly, reflecting the political will of their respective presidents. Yilmaz described the agreement as a vital step toward placing bilateral ties on a stable institutional and legal foundation.
Historically, the Yunus Emre cultural centers—named in honor of a 14th-century poet—operated in Damascus and Aleppo before suspending their activities in 2011 at the onset of the Syrian civil war. Yilmaz noted that there is a significant Turkish-speaking population in Syria, including local Turkmen communities and individuals who resided in Türkiye for many years. He emphasized that these centers will be instrumental in preserving and advancing existing language skills to a more academic level, noting a strong demand among Syrians for such educational opportunities.
Beyond language courses, the Yunus Emre Institute plans to launch initiatives aimed at rediscovering shared cultural heritage, including collaborative projects in cinema, literature, photography, painting, and history. Yilmaz expressed that these cultural programs are expected to strengthen the bond between the two populations by highlighting the deep historical and cultural connections between Türkiye and Syria.
The accord was signed by Ambassador Yilmaz and Qutayba Kadish, who serves as the head of the International Cooperation Department at the Syrian Foreign Ministry. The signing ceremony was also attended by embassy staff and Furkan Koroglu, the acting coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute’s Damascus Cultural Centre.
