The Turkish Embassy, in collaboration with the Voluntary Work Center, inaugurated a friendship mural and the Turkish Products Fair on Thursday at Souq Mubarakiya, as part of events commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Kuwait.

In her opening speech, Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez highlighted the strong bond between the two nations, emphasizing that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, “Turkiye and Kuwait will continue to enhance cooperation across all fields,” she said, praising the solidarity and collaboration both countries have demonstrated over the decades.

The ambassador also reflected on previous events held to mark the anniversary, including the opening of a Turkish book section at the National Library of Kuwait, a cultural tour of Badreya Al-Nasser Mosque, the exhibition “60 Years of Diplomatic Relations: Enduring Friendship Between Türkiye and Kuwait” and a Turkish classical music concert at the Yarmouk Cultural Center.

Diplomatic archive exhibition in front of Sheikh Mubarak Kiosk.

Assistant Minister for Europe Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sadiq Marafi and Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez.

Turkish Ambassador Tuba Nur Sonmez

The friendship mural, unveiled at Souq Mubarakiya, features iconic landmarks from both countries, including Kuwait’s Water Towers, Fatima Mosque and Kuwait Towers, alongside Turkey’s Galata Tower, Hagia Sophia and Bosporus Bridge. Ambassador Sonmez described the mural as “a symbol of unity, reflecting efforts to build bridges, foster understanding, and strengthen the fraternal ties between Turkiye and Kuwait”.

After the mural’s unveiling, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the Turkish Products Fair, which runs from Nov 21-23, 2024, at the entrance of Souq Mubarakiya. The fair features a variety of Turkish goods, including food, cultural materials, artwork and service sector exhibits.

The event also included the opening of a diplomatic archive exhibition in front of the Sheikh Mubarak Kiosk. The exhibit showcases selected documents from the Turkish State Archives, including press reports, diplomatic communications and photographs illustrating the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations.

Sonmez was joined by Sadiq Marafi, Assistant Minister for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Abdulrahman Al-Farsi and Khaled Almeer, Vice Presidents of the Kuwait Voluntary Work Center, high-ranking officials, members of the diplomatic corps and cultural envoys from both countries.