Cultural cooperation with Bulgaria to expand in future

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Turkish Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay (R) and his Bulgarian counterpart Vejdi Rashidov pose at the ceremony after signing the cultural agreement. DHA photo

Bulgaria and Turkey have created an agreement that focuses on supporting film productions and preventing the smuggling of cultural artifacts.

“After Turkey, Bulgaria is the next smuggling stop, and Bulgaria can help Turkey to prevent the smuggling of cultural artifacts,” Tourism and Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay said, speaking at a news conference.

According to Günay, more than 4,000 artifacts that were smuggled out of Turkey have been returned in the last 10 years.

The agreement is the result of successful film co-productions between the two countries, Günay said. “Both this agreement and the act that we are preparing will open the way for cinema producers,” Günay said, referencing an act currently being developed to support future co-productions.

Günay thanked Bulgarian Culture Minister Vejdi Rashidov, adding that visa applications and equipment transport will be easier as a result of the agreement.

Turkey has previously signed similar agreements with Azerbaijan and Japan, Günay said. “Bulgaria has a perfect film plateau and this cooperation will be very useful for both countries.” Speaking after Günay, Rashidov said this would be ideal cooperation between two countries. “We met with Günay and decided that some of the work should also transfer to paper.”

The best politics is culture
“We have returned 488 Turkish cultural artifacts,” he said, adding that both Turkey and Bulgaria were looking to preserve their cultural history. “Both countries are taking further steps to prevent and protect their cultural heritage. Culture is more important than politics. We can say culture is the best political way.” Artists, actors and directors from the two countries should meet and work together, Rashidov said. Bulgaria would like to invite Turkish directors and producers to a meeting in Bulgaria soon, he said.

“This agreement may trigger Turkish and Bulgarian cinema to take their places in European cinema and in Europe, and will also strengthen their presence in world cinema. I think this live meeting between producers is more important than signing a piece of paper,” Rashidov said.