IRCICA Newsletter, issue 82-83

“The Ottoman State from Sögüt ˘ to Three Continents”
Symposium held in Sögüt ˘ and Bilecik, Turkey
Söğüt town, the first capital city of the Ottoman Beylik, and the province of Bilecik, were
the venue for this symposium on Ottoman history held from 17-20 September. Sixty
scholars and researchers participated in it, from 17 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey,
Ukraine, USA and Yemen.
Bilecik University, the Association of Researchers on the Middle East and Africa (ORDAF,
Turkey), IRCICA and Istanbul Commerce University collaborated in its organization. The
symposium was opened in Söğüt and continued at Bilecik University. The session themes
were: ‘’Ottoman administration in the Balkans with respect to the application of political
tolerance in the Balkans”, “Ottoman administration in Africa”, “The Ottoman experience
in Asia and Africa from local perspectives”, “The Ottoman State from the viewpoint of
culture and civilization”, “The Ottoman economic, social and political impact in three
continents”, “The Ottoman administration as a carrier of culture in Africa”, “The scope of
Ottoman politics and the historiography”.
Conference on
“Arabs and Turks in the Path of History and Civilisation”
This conference was organised jointly with the Ministry of
Culture of Syria, under the paronage of the Syrian Prime
Minister Mr. Naji Otri, in Damascus, on 1-3 August 2010.
Twenty-one participants from Egypt, Syria, Turkey and UAE
presented papers.
The opening at Al-Assad National Library was officiated
by the Minister of Culture of Syria Dr. Riyad Nassan Agha.
Among those present were the Minister of Culture of Qatar
Dr. Hamad Abdul Aziz Qawari, the Ambassador of Turkey Mr.
Ömür Önhon, the President of al-Fatih Association Sheikh
Hussameddin Farfour, guests from cultural circles.
The Ambassador of Turkey Mr. Önhon unerlined that studies
on relations between Arabs and Turks had been neglected for
a long time which have had repercussions on these relations
themselves. Relations between Syria, Turkey and the Arab
world are important, advanced, and are based on historical
links that bind them together through their hsitory, culture
and common traditions. He underlined the need to rewrite
history following a scholarly method, that it be rewritten by
those concerned, its real owners; this can play an important
role in improving relations between Arabs and Turks.
Dr. Afif Bahnasi, art historian from Syria and ex-member of
the Governing Board of IRCICA, took the floor on behalf of
the conference participants. He underlined the many aspects
of Arab-Turkish relations in the political, cultural, linguistic
and other areas. He dwelt upon some of these aspects pertinent
for the conference including the art and architectural heritage
which stands as a testimony of cooperation of Arabs and Turks,
the exchanges in languages, in particular the Arabic words
borrowed and used in Turkish, and the Turkish interest and
contributions in the art of Arabic calligraphy.
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Newsletter May-August, No: 82 / September-December 2010, No: 83
Representing the Director General of IRCICA; Dr. Nazih
Maarouf outlined the activities of the Centre in various areas,
its international cooperation, and recalled in particular the
activities conducted jointly with the Government of Syria in
the past, such as the seminar on «Arabesque in Tradtional
Crafts of OIC Countries» held in 1997 under the patronage
of the late President Hafez Assad and the conference on «Al-
Quds during the Ottoman Period» held in 2009, which both
took place in Damascus; he also
recalled the visit of President Bashar Assad to IRCICA during
his official visit to Turkey in January 2004.
Dr. Riyad Nassan Agha, Minister of Culture of Syria, spoke of
the deep-rooted relations between Arabs and Turks which go
back to pre-Islamic times in their respective regions. He gave
examples of attitudes deployed by Turks in history with regard
to Arab causes, in particular over the question of Palestine,
starting from the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid’s refusing
the offer made by
Theodor Herzl to pay
down the Empire’s
foreign debt as
against allowing Jews
to settle in Palestine.
The conference dealt
with various aspects
of the relations in
the fields of language
and literature, arts
and architecture.