On October 31, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi, held a meeting with Mustafa Levent Bilgen, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Ukraine.
The discussion focused on strengthening cultural ties, promoting Ukrainian culture in Türkiye and Turkish culture in Ukraine, as well as enhancing strategic communications at the international level. In particular, Mykola Tochytskyi highlighted the importance of Ukrainian artists’ participation in the “Türkiye Culture Route” festival.
The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Turkish side for its constant support and emphasized the strong strategic partnership between the two countries, as demonstrated by regular meetings at both the highest and ministerial levels.
In turn, Mustafa Levent Bilgen stressed the need for joint efforts to uphold democracy and national identity in both countries.
Additionally, Mykola Tochytskyi expressed interest in establishing a Ukrainian school and Ukrainian language departments in Türkiye to foster the promotion of Ukrainian culture and education. He thanked Türkiye for supporting initiatives led by First Lady Olena Zelenska, such as the “Ukrainian Book Shelf” project. The development of the “Translate Ukraine” program to promote Ukrainian literature in Türkiye was also highlighted during the meeting.
Toward the end of the meeting, the parties discussed potential collaboration with archival institutions, particularly the Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, which houses numerous documents on Ukrainian-Turkish history. Such a partnership would create new opportunities for cultural exchange between Ukraine and Türkiye and further strengthen ties between the nations.
Both sides agreed to continue working together to advance cultural initiatives.
