Why Biden should include cultural heritage diplomacy in his Turkey outreach

As US President Joe Biden prepares to meet with Turkey’s President Erdogan next month, the focus will undoubtedly be on the long list of foreign and security policy issues that have caused a rift in US-Turkish relations.

In her latest piece, expert Tugba Tanyeri Erdemir, who joins us today on The Greek Current, makes the case that President Biden also needs to include cultural heritage diplomacy in his approach to Turkey. She explains that cultural diplomacy focused on the heritage of at-risk communities and carried out in collaboration with local stakeholders has the potential to engage a wider segment of Turkey’s population, and can go hand in hand with the promotion of pluralism and peace building.

Tugba Tanyeri Erdemir is the coordinator of the ADL’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities, and is a Research Associate at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Anthropology with an extensive background in cultural heritage preservation.