Turkey plans to strengthen cultural, artistic ties with Egypt: Turkish ambassador

Reham El-Adawi , Tuesday 8 Oct 2024

Turkey plans to bolster its cultural and artistic ties with Egypt, the Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, has asserted.

Salih Mutlu Şen
Turkish ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen meets Governor of Alexandria Ahmed Khaled at the opening of Alexandria Film Festival.

 

Şen made his remarks on the sidelines of his participation in the opening of the 40th Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries, which ran from 1 to 5 October.

Ambassador Şen expressed Turkey's keen interest in participating in the 2025 edition of the festival. He noted that his country aims for a strong presence in all categories, including feature films, short films, and children's films.

The ambassador also met with Egyptian Culture Minister Ahmed Hanno to discuss ways to enhance artistic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

He also spoke with Alexandria Governor Major General Ahmed Khaled, expressing appreciation for the governor's support of Turkish investments in Borg El Arab.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian delegation led by head of the Union of the Artistic Syndicates, director Omar Abdel-Aziz visited ambassador Şen.

The two sides agreed during the meeting to organize a Turkish Film Week in the coming years.

"There are more than a thousand years of common history and cinematic culture between Turkey and Egypt and that this is a cultural treasure," the Turkish ambassador pointed out.

"Some of the heroes of these cultural treasures are buried in shrines, some in Istanbul and some in Cairo, and their stories have not yet been published,” he added.

“These cultural treasures are hidden in monuments, public fountains, shrines, manuscripts, archives, mosques, minarets and palaces that are waiting to be visited in Istanbul and Cairo," he clarified.

The ambassador emphasized the importance of passing this heritage on to future generations in through novels and the art of cinema.

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