Türkiye and Syria have signed an agreement allowing Yunus Emre cultural centres to resume operations in Syria, focusing on Turkish-language education and cultural programmes designed to strengthen ties between the two countries.
Under the agreement, Turkish cultural centres will be able to operate across Syria, primarily offering Turkish-language courses and promoting Turkish culture.
Nuh Yılmaz, Türkiye’s ambassador to Damascus, said relations between Türkiye and Syria are developing rapidly in line with the political will expressed by the two countries’ presidents, adding that the necessary legal framework is also being established.
He described the agreement as an important step towards placing bilateral relations on an institutional and legal footing.
Türkiye’s Yunus Emre cultural centres, named after the renowned 14th-century poet, operated in Damascus and Aleppo before the war but suspended their activities after the conflict began in 2011.
Yılmaz said Syria has a sizeable Turkish-speaking population, including local ethnic Turkmen communities and Syrians who lived in Türkiye for many years.
He said the centres would help preserve and develop existing language skills while providing more formal Turkish-language education, noting strong demand among Syrians seeking to learn or improve their Turkish.
The Yunus Emre Institute will also organise activities highlighting the two countries’ shared cultural heritage, including projects in literature, photography, cinema, painting and history, Yılmaz said.
He added that the programmes would strengthen ties between the two peoples and highlight the historic and cultural links between Türkiye and Syria.
The agreement was signed by Yılmaz and Qutayba Kadish, head of the International Cooperation Department at the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Embassy officials and Furkan Köroğlu, acting coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute’s Damascus Cultural Centre, also attended the ceremony.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the M...
Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic have been strategic partners for more than a decade. In an exclusive int...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end...
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
While addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Washington and Tehran will reach a deal after the U.S. midterm elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
In a workshop in Margilan, in eastern Uzbekistan's Fergana Region, silk threads are still being transformed into brightly coloured atlas and adras fabrics using techniques passed down through generations.
An online petition is calling for singer Pink to be removed from her UNICEF role following criticism of Macklemore over his pro-Palestinian remarks during Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence over Macklemore’s removal from his U.S. tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian remarks, saying the decision was made by promoters and venues rather than him.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for the 15th of September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the world of culture.
The Carolina Herrera fashion house celebrated its 45th anniversary with a vibrant runway show at New York's Fashion Week on Monday, presenting its spring 2027 collection against a backdrop of sunshine-coloured tulips.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment