Turkey names 2014 as year of Iran

TEHRAN — Turkey has accepted Iran’s proposal for naming 2014 as the year of Iran in the country.

The proposal was approved by the Turkish Delegation in the first meeting of the Standing Committee for Cultural Relations of Iran and Turkey at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) in Tehran on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by the Turkish delegation headed by Director of the International Department of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bülent Arasli and the Iranian delegation headed by deputy for International Affairs of the organization Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Imanipur.

Iran also asked Turkey to turn the residence of Imam Khomeini in Turkey into a museum and cultural monument and the Turkish parties promised to pursue it.

The Iranian delegates also asked for support by Turkish cultural officials for dedicating an independent building for teaching Persian language in Ankara.

Boosting relations between the Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature and the Turkish Language Association, stabilizing the number of tourists in the two countries and holding joint tours are other suggestions proposed by Iran.

The two parties also signed an agreement during their second meeting on Thursday morning to boost cultural ties between the two countries.

On Thursday morning, Iran’s Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari met his Turkish counterpart Okan Yüce.

At the meeting, Yüce spoke about changes that have occurred in the Turkish cinema since 2004 and said that he is eager to know more about Iranian cinema.

Afterward, Shamaqdari welcomed Turkish cultural officials and pointed to the cultural communalities between the two countries.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has aired some Turkish TV series with religious and spiritual themes, Shamaqdari mentioned at the event.

He proposed the formation of a research committee to prepare an educational proposal to increase the content and strengthen the structure of religious cinema in two countries.

He also suggested further joint film projects and introducing the cinema of each of the two countries into the other.

SB/YAW

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via Turkey names 2014 as year of Iran – Tehran Times.