The Center for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies at Kuwait University, in collaboration with the Journal of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, organized a symposium entitled “Gulf-Turkish Relations” at the Johra Building Atrium. The session was chaired by Prof. Ghanem Al-Najjar, Acting Editor-in-Chief of the journal, and featured a delegation from the Republic of Turkey - Mardin Artuklu University, including Dr. Mohammad Rakib Oglu and Dr. Najd Al-Din Akar, as well as Dr. Youssef Bahaa Al-Din Keskin from Amasya University. The event was attended by Prof. Yaqoub Al-Kandari, Acting Director of the Center for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies.

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On this occasion, Prof. Yaqoub Al-Kandari stated that the Center organized this symposium with the aim of strengthening ties between the Gulf region and Turkey, noting the value of having Turkish experts present in Kuwait to share perspectives on Gulf-Turkish relations.
He added that the views shared during the session came from specialists in political and social sciences, which highlighted the depth and multi-dimensional nature of the relationship. He stressed the importance of such academic encounters and collaborative efforts between universities across different countries. He further noted that Turkey is a significant regional participant, one that should play an active role in fostering relations with Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. He expressed hope for the continued enhancement of Gulf-Turkish ties, particularly Kuwaiti-Turkish relations, through more engagements in cultural and academic fields in the future.

For his part, Prof. Ghanem Al-Najjar, Acting Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, stated that the symposium aimed to shed light on the Turkish perspective regarding Gulf relations, noting that the discussions spanned a wide range of topics. He expressed his expectation that this symposium would serve as a foundation for more focused sessions on specific issues in future gatherings.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammad Rakib Oglu from Mardin Artuklu University remarked, following his meetings with a number of academics and media representatives in Kuwait, that although he had visited Kuwait years ago, this was his first academic session held in the country. He noted the presence of recurring questions concerning Turkey’s policies toward Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf region, and emphasized that there are many opportunities for cooperation between the two sides. He stated that cooperation is not a luxury but a necessity and called for increasing channels of communication and strengthening collaboration between Turkey and Kuwait across various sectors.