Türkiye and Uzbekistan are set to expand cooperation in culture and the arts, including cultural heritage, archaeology, performing arts and cinema, following talks in Tashkent between the countries’ culture ministers.
Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy met with Uzbek Culture Minister Ozodbek Nazarbekov during a visit to the Uzbek capital, marking the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. Ersoy and Nazarbekov also visited the Center for Islamic Civilization (CIC).
The meeting focused on developing concrete projects under the 2026-2027 Culture Cooperation Plan between the two countries.
Ersoy highlighted the importance of preserving their shared cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations. He said Türkiye could share its experience in restoration and conservation with Uzbek experts, while reciprocal expert visits and practical training could be expanded.
Cooperation in archaeological research and the preservation of waqf-related works was also discussed. Ersoy noted that Uzbek researchers have participated in the Archaeology Summer School organized under Türkiye’s Taş Tepeler Project and said greater involvement by Turkish archaeologists in excavations and research in Uzbekistan could further strengthen scientific cooperation.
The two sides also discussed Türkiye’s night museum program. Ersoy said Türkiye’s experience with the initiative, which attracted more than 1 million visitors in 2025 and is being implemented at 22 museums and archaeological sites in 2026, could be shared with Uzbekistan.
Folk dances were also identified as an area for joint work, with the two sides agreeing to develop projects aimed at bringing Turkish culture to wider audiences.
Cinema and audiovisual cooperation was another key topic of the meeting.
Ersoy pointed to the start of filming for "Türkistanlı Bahadırlar," or "Heroes of Turkestan" in English, as an important development in joint film production. He also said implementing an Audiovisual Co-production Agreement between Türkiye and Uzbekistan would provide a more permanent framework for cooperation between the countries’ film industries.
Following the meeting, Türkiye’s General Directorate of Fine Arts and the Uzbekistan Philharmonic Orchestra signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in culture.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the two ministers and aims to strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan in music and the performing arts.
As part of his visit, Ersoy was also scheduled to attend a gala concert marking Uzbekistan’s 35th Independence Day at the International Forums Palace “Uzbekistan” in Tashkent.
