On April 12, 2025, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Nurlan Yermekbayev, took part in a panel session titled "The Role of Culture in the Modern World: Unification or Division?" held within the framework of the 4th Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey.
In his speech, he spoke about the multifaceted cultural cooperation among SCO member states, which contributes to strengthening mutual understanding and trust. He emphasized that the SCO promotes respectful and tolerant attitudes toward cultural diversity, demonstrating how the development of humanitarian ties can serve as a foundation for convergence and mutual enrichment of values.
Among the session speakers were: Secretary-General of the CICA Kairat Sarybay, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Sultan Raev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of the Islamic Republic of Iran Saeed Khatibzadeh, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, Director of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Africa Program at the Institute for International Affairs (Italy) Maria Luisa Fantappie, and Political Adviser to the EBRD Office for the Mediterranean, Tarek Osman.
On the sidelines of the forum, the SCO Secretary-General held a working meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, A. Berris Ekinci. Nurlan Yermekbayev expressed his gratitude to the Turkish side for its active participation in SCO events and confirmed the Organization’s openness to dialogue. The parties also exchanged views on key aspects of preparation for the upcoming SCO summit in Tianjin, China, later this year.
The Secretary-General also gave interviews to leading Turkish and international media outlets, including CNN Turk, Anadolu, and Nikkei, where he shared the Organization's perspective on current regional and global trends, as well as its approach to modern challenges and opportunities.