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The "New Horizons in Türkiye-Sri Lanka Relations" was held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Ziraat Bank Library of Istanbul Medeniyet University, in collaboration with Istanbul Medeniyet University, the South Asia Strategic Research Center (GASAM), and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ankara.

In the opening speeches of the symposium, GASAM President Cemal Demir emphasized the strategic importance of developing relations between the two countries and establishing lasting cooperation, while our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül reminded the audience that Türkiye acts with a vision of adding value to every region it reaches. Sri Lankan Ambassador to Türkiye Niluka Kadurugamuwa highlighted the importance of a partnership based on mutual respect since independence in 1948, stating that the assistance provided by TIKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after natural disasters was a true sign of friendship and that Sri Lanka's strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region was of critical value.

At the symposium, Ambassador İskender K. Okyay noted that social awareness between the two countries has begun to increase but that this momentum needs to be further strengthened. Prof. Dr. İsmail Ermağan, a faculty member of our University's Department of International Relations, emphasized that Sri Lanka is an important base for entering Southeast Asian markets and that Türkiye’s success in Somalia could be replicated in this region through security-based cooperation.

At the event, Dr. Hediye Gamze Türkmen gave a comprehensive presentation on the role of cultural diplomacy and tourism in strengthening mutual relations; Dr. Hayati Ünlü, a faculty member at the National Defense University, concluded the session by analyzing the course of US-China competition through the concept of the "Thucydides Trap" and the geopolitical effects of Russia, Türkiye, and India's relations on Sri Lanka.

The Symposium on New Horizons in Türkiye-Sri Lanka Relations not only evaluated current relations but also contributed to the establishment of sustainable, multi-layered, and future-oriented cooperation models between the two countries.