Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani renewed his call on Turkey to activate the memoranda of understanding and agreements signed with Ankara in the tourism and cultural aspect, noting that the local tourism sector is still in its infancy, and it is hoped that it will achieve significant economic investment revenues .
A statement by the Ministry of Culture stated that Al-Badrani received the new Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, Anil Bora Inan, and congratulated him on assuming his duties in representing his country in Baghdad, and stressed the need to continue developing relations between the two countries with deep roots on the cultural and social levels, with the need to achieve a meeting at the ministerial level to implement the terms of the agreements between the two sides.
Al-Badrani added that the process of maintaining Iraqi archaeological and heritage sites requires precise specializations, which are only available in Germany, Italy, Iran and Turkey, stressing the minist
ry’s desire for the Turkish “TIKA” Foundation to begin maintaining the monuments of the Ottoman style, as they are a common part of the history of the two countries.
Al-Badrani called on the Turkish side to expedite the preparation of the final study to save the minaret of the Caliphs Mosque in Baghdad from falling, as it also threatens the dome of the mosque, which is estimated to be more than a thousand years old, urging them to coordinate with the “TIKA” Foundation to discuss resuming the maintenance and rehabilitation of parts of Kirkuk Citadel, and the rest of the projects in the archaeological and heritage sites.
In turn, Inan expressed his country’s readiness to activate the cultural cooperation agreements signed during the recent visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, stressing that the “TIKA” Foundation has completed the study of the rehabilitation of the public library in the House of Books and Documents, and proposing the formation of a joint working team at the level of lead
ership and advanced and intermediate staff to formulate a joint work program.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency