As part of the "Decision on the Ratification of the Agreement on the Prevention and Combating the Illicit Traffic of Cultural Property" signed between Türkiye and Ecuador, the two countries will cooperate on cultural property seized through theft, smuggling and illegal transfer and will return the seized cultural property to each other.

The two countries will also cooperate in locating and recovering illegally removed cultural property while committing to harmonizing their legal regulations with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

The agreement on the implementation of the social security agreement with Iran was also ratified and published in the Official Gazette. Under the agreement, the liaison institution in Türkiye will be the Social Security Institution and the Directorate General of Turkish Employment Agency, while in Iran, it will be the Social Security Institution.

The agreement regulates issues such as the merging of insurance periods and the submission of applications, as well as the necessary arrangements for citizens of the two countries to benefit from various rights and benefits if they reside in the other country.

The Turkish-Kazakh and Turkish-Finn Land Transportation Joint Commission Meeting protocols were also ratified.

In the meetings held with the participation of expert delegations from the two countries and Türkiye, issues such as the exchange of statistical data, transportation of goods, digitalization of international road transport, exchange of statistical information on goods transportation, and the use of transit documents, determination of additional transit documents for 2022 and quotas for 2023 were discussed.

Agreements on the water with Tajikistan, youth, and sports with Kosovo ratified

The "Agreement on Cooperation between Türkiye and Tajikistan in the Field of Water", signed in Ankara on September 9, 2021, was ratified and published in the Official Gazette.

According to the agreement, the parties will cooperate by exchanging knowledge, experience and technology based on equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit in accordance with national legislation for the protection, development and management of water resources.

Exchange of knowledge on new technologies covers areas of cooperation in drinking water and treatment facilities, irrigation systems and freshwater fisheries, management of water resources, prevention of wastewater pollution, modernization of irrigation systems, preparation of flood and drought management plans, and establishment of a network of experts between the two countries.

The "Agreement on Cooperation between Türkiye and Kosovo in the Field of Youth and Sports", signed in Ankara on March 1, 2022, between Türkiye and Kosovo, was also ratified.

The agreement aims to support and facilitate communication and cooperation between youth and sports facilities of both countries and to establish the framework of cooperation programs in these fields based on reciprocity.

The two countries are expected to develop programs for young people's education and vocational employment, involve young people in volunteer activities, organise internship programs, support institutions and organisations for youth activities, and to carry out exchange projects and mobility programs.

Cooperation between Türkiye and Palestine in the field of sharing environmental knowledge, experience and technology

“The Memorandum of Understanding between Türkiye and Palestine on Environmental Cooperation between Türkiye and Palestine”, signed in Ramallah on May 24, 2022, was also ratified and published in the Official Gazette.

With this memorandum of understanding, the parties aim to reduce pollution and ensure environmental sustainability with a balanced approach towards protecting and utilising the ecosystem.

To this end, the two countries will cooperate in sharing knowledge, experience, best practices and technology based on the principle of equity, benefit and reciprocity.

The scope of cooperation includes areas such as integrated waste management, wastewater collection and treatment, green economy, climate change and biological diversity. (ILKHA)