The panel "Turkey and Russia in the Context of History and Culture" has been held at Yunus Emre Institute's Moscow branch under the auspices of the Turkish Embassy in Moscow and with the support of the Turkish Airlines (THY). Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, famous historian and honorary member of the Turkish Historical Society, and Prof. Dr. Dmitri Vasilyev, the Head of History Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, attended the program as speakers, and Turkey's Ambassador to Moscow Hüseyin Diriöz delivered the keynote speech.

The bilateral relations between the two countries were discussed during the panel. Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı stressed that the relations between Turkey and Russia had always been important throughout history. "Although we had just come out of the World War I, we managed to make significant progress in healthcare, education and railroads at that time. If it weren't the World War II, we would have been able to develop faster. Development occurs when there is peace between Russia and Turkey. Life freezes when there is no peace between the two countries," he said.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Dmitri Vasilyev noted that Russia had assigned its most talented diplomats to Turkey. "Whenever the relations between Russia and Turkey improved, this would bother European countries. Western agents would be used to take provocative steps both in Russia and the Ottoman Empire to disrupt political and social relations. However, both Russia and Turkey always managed to overcome these difficulties thanks to their similar cultures," he said.

Following the panel discussions, Turkey's Ambassador to Moscow Hüseyin Diriöz presented plaques to Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı and Prof. Dr. Dmitri Vasilyev.