Giuli in Istanbul: ‘Splendid Institutional Relationship Between Italy and Turkey’

(ANSA) - ISTANBUL, 15 OTT - Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli is preparing to conclude a mission in Turkey, where he said he had traveled to “reaffirm the splendid institutional relationship between Rome and Ankara.” Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of an event organized by the Italian Embassy at the Palazzo di Venezia in Istanbul, Giuli highlighted his participation in the 17th Archaeology Conference dedicated to the contribution of Italian archaeological missions in Turkey, “to demonstrate cultural solidarity with our scholars and our Turkish friends, with whom we share wide-ranging cultural projects both in Italy and in Turkey.” During the opening ceremony, set against the backdrop of the archaeological mission at Hierapolis in Anatolia, Giuli met with her Turkish counterpart, Nuri Ersoy, and noted that “the Ministry of Culture is strengthening cooperation in the audiovisual sector and in exchanges related to exhibitions, events, and excavations, and we are already working on other joint initiatives following the major exhibition ‘Troy and Rome,’ which is currently on view in the Colosseum Park.” Speaking about cultural cooperation with Turkey, Giuli also stated that “the special relationship” with Ankara “facilitates the mutual exchange of audiovisual content, and this is what we are focusing on.” On the occasion of the minister’s visit, Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo presented “the Italian itinerary in Istanbul” to an audience of Italian entrepreneurs and figures from the cultural sector, a new initiative by the embassy that allows visitors to follow an interactive map to discover the major Italian masterpieces of art and architecture found in the city on the Bosphorus. This idea was praised by Giuli himself, who described it as “a sign of great foresight in showcasing all the sites that mark Italy’s historical presence in this great cosmopolitan city.” Noting that he has many “favorite places” in Istanbul, Giuli said he feels a special connection to the Circus of Constantine, “where there is a marvelous twisted column that has survived, so to speak, the ravages of time and all the conflicts this city has endured, and where it is said the Palladium—that is, the token of Rome’s founding by Constantine—is hidden,” the minister emphasized.
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