Damascus, July 24 (SANA)Syria and Türkiye signed on Friday an agreement providing a framework for establishing cultural centers for each country in the other’s territory, the Foreign Ministry said.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic by Qutaiba Kadish, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and on behalf of the Republic of Türkiye by its Ambassador to DamascusNuh Yılmaz.

Framework for cultural exchange

The agreement provides for the establishment and operation of cultural centers on a reciprocal basis to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, according to a ministry statement.

The centers’ activities will include organizing conferences, forums, festivals, exhibitions and cultural performances, establishing libraries and resource centers, distributing and lending printed and audiovisual materials, and producing and publishing printed and digital cultural, educational and scientific content.

The agreement also allows for organizing visits and exchange programs between the two countries involving writers, scientists, researchers, academics and students, as well as promoting scholarships and implementing and contributing toscientific researchprojects.

High-level engagements, growing rapprochement

The signing follows a series of high-level engagements between Syria and Türkiye aimed at deepening bilateral ties. In June, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Ankara, where both sides discussed enhancing cooperation in energy, transport and trade, and emphasized the importance of activating the joint economic committee.

On July 4, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi visited Damascus, where he met with his Syrian counterpart Anas Khattab and discussed building a “shared future” between the two countries. The cultural centers agreement comes amid growing rapprochement following the fall of the deposed regime, with Türkiye emerging as a key partner in Syria’s reconstruction and recovery.