Speaking at the International Conference on Iranian Studies, Temizal emphasized: “Turkey and Iran, located at a key point along the historic Silk Road, with their young populations, diverse developing sectors, and rich natural resources, are two important countries in the region. Just as the destiny of each nation is tied to its geography, the fate of one country is also shaped by its neighbor.”
Turkey and Iran have been neighbors for nearly a thousand years. Their relations go back to pre-Christian times; during the Sassanid era, Persians and Turks enjoyed friendly ties, and these connections continued for centuries. In the Ottoman period, the two nations were close allies. Today, relations between Iran and Turkey are strong across many fields, particularly culture, literature, trade, politics, international relations, tourism, transportation, energy, and other areas.
Temizal added: “Language is one of the most important factors in fostering cultural ties. It is the primary means of communication, alongside religion, folklore, and social solidarity, which also play significant roles. Turks have always had close relations with Persians, and the introduction of Persian into Turkey faced few obstacles, since Turks had long lived in Iran and were familiar with the language. After the adoption of Islam, relations between the two countries expanded even further.”
He said: "Turkey has long been acquainted with Iran, learning and promoting the Persian language. During the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, Persian was regarded as a prestigious literary language. Many important historical sources and classical works of Turkish literature were written in Persian."
He concluded: "Even in the Republican era, leading Turkish universities continued to give importance to Persian. No other language has had such a prominent presence in Turkish universities: Ten universities currently host Persian language departments, and three different academic tracks admit students. No other foreign language enjoys such widespread institutional support."
Hossein Amiri - Mojtaba Darabi
