On Sunday 5 May 2024, the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts’ Syriac Heritage and Museum Director Bernard Youssef concluded his tour in the Turkish capital Ankara, as part of a Kurdistan Regional Government delegation, headed by the Region’s Component Affairs Minister Aydin Maruf.
On Thursday 2 May 2024, the delegation began its tour by visiting the office of the International Council of Journalists, based in Ankara, and was briefed on its activities. It then moved to the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, where they were received by Deputy Minister Dr. Serdar Çam.
During the visit, Syriac Heritage and Museum Director Bernard Youssef discussed ways to strengthen cultural relations between the two parties, and the importance of Syriac culture, arts, and heritage participating in the festivals scheduled to be held in several Turkish provinces during next October.
The delegation also visited the headquarters of the Coordination and Cooperation Agency (TIKA) and were received by the head of the agency, Serkan Kayalar. During the visit, the issue of reconstruction and building of cultural institutions in Erbil was discussed, and the Syriac Heritage and Museum Director requested that these projects include Syriac heritage and cultural institutions as well, just like the other cultural institutions in the Region.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s visiting delegation continued its Türkiye tour on Friday 3 May 2024, visiting the Turkish Knowledge Foundation. They were received by secretariat member Selim Cerrah. The delegation then visited the main office of Anadolu News Agency, where they were received by first deputy director general Oğuz Enis Peru.
The delegation also visited the University of Health Sciences and was received by its president Dr. Kemal Aydın. It then concluded its tour in the Turkish capital Ankara with a visit to the presidency of the Center for Middle East Studies (ORSAM).
