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Turkic states have adopted the “Gaziantep Declaration” to strengthen international cooperation against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, bringing together regional partners to step up coordination, knowledge-sharing and joint efforts to protect shared heritage.
The declaration was adopted following the “Strategic Cooperation Conference and Technical Workshop on Turkic Cultural Heritage,” held in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep through cooperation between Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, the Turkic Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Institute, and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Representatives from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan took part in the workshop, alongside observer members Hungary and Turkmenistan. Officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime also joined the discussions.
The declaration underlined that protecting cultural heritage is a shared responsibility among participating countries. It also stressed that illegal activities targeting cultural artifacts are not only criminal acts but also a threat to collective memory.
The participating states agreed to step up coordination, expand information-sharing and build up institutional capacity to tackle cultural property trafficking more effectively.
The declaration further called for stronger international cooperation in efforts to protect cultural heritage.
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Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Zeynep Boz, head of the Department for Combating Smuggling at Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, pointed out that trafficking in cultural property is a cross-border crime, making cooperation between countries increasingly important.
Boz said working together with Turkic states would strengthen the process, while efforts would continue to focus on increasing the exchange of expertise and information. She also noted that Türkiye has already been carrying out similar cooperation with European and Balkan countries.
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