10th International Symposium on Religious Studies and Humanitarian Issues Held in Damascus

The 10th International Symposium on Religious Studies and Humanitarian Issues, in which Selçuk University is also a stakeholder, was held in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Organized at Damascus University for the first time after a long break, the symposium brought together academics from various countries.

Turkey’s Acting Chargé d’Affaires in Damascus, Ambassador Burhan Köroğlu, stated that after the fall of the regime, cooperation began with all institutions in Syria. Emphasizing that holding the symposium in Damascus is “highly meaningful,” Köroğlu noted that Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish universities have supported the event for many years, and this year they decided to host it in Damascus.

Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stated that after long and difficult years, they now feel deep happiness to be in Syria, a friendly and brotherly country that has regained its freedom.

Prof. Dr. Osman Zahit Çiftçi, a faculty member of Selçuk University’s Faculty of Theology, stated that holding the symposium in Damascus after a long break is significant both materially and spiritually. Çiftçi recalled that during last year’s symposium in Konya, which focused on Gaza, they declared that the 10th symposium would be held in Damascus and the 11th in Gaza.