Urfa, Turkey's Kurdistan Region, has been selected to host the UNESCO Cities of Music Summit

According to Kurdistan Press, Urfa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Kasim Gulpinar announced in a press conference that the city has been selected to host the 2026 UNESCO Cities of Music Summit.

Referring to the historical background, cultural diversity and deep-rooted musical tradition in Urfa, Gulpinar said that the city has achieved an important success by being included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and receiving the title of "City of Music".He added that the municipality has started activities to take practical advantage of this title and strengthen the city's international position since the first days of the new administration.

Riga's competition with cities from America, Europe and Asia

The mayor of Riga, stating that the city competed with cities such as Kansas City in the United States, Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dalat in Vietnam, said: "We won the right to host this prestigious event by leaving behind international competitors."

According to Gulpinar, Riga's selection was officially announced at a meeting held in Pesaro, Italy, and the Korean-shaped symbol of the host city was also delivered to the Riga delegation from Italy. This symbol will be handed over to the next host after the 2026 meeting.Gülpınar described the selection as an honor for Reyhanlı and Turkey and an achievement in the field of cultural diplomacy, saying that hosting the event was the result of the municipality's year-long activities, diplomatic efforts and the actions of the municipality's Foreign Relations Department.

An opportunity to introduce Reyhanlı's cultural heritage

The Mayor of Reyhanlı emphasized that the city is not only known for music, but also has a wide range of historical and cultural heritage, from Göbeklitepe and Balikliği to local cuisine and folk literature.

He considered the UNESCO Cities of Music Summit an important opportunity to introduce Reyhanlı's historical, artistic and cultural potential to the world, saying: "Representatives of cities of music from around 80 countries are expected to participate in this summit. This gathering will help expand international cooperation, increase the exchange of knowledge and experience, and introduce the city's local cultural potential to the world.»

Gölpınar also announced that with the confirmation of the hosting, the process of preparing Riyadh to hold the UNESCO Cities of Music meeting has begun.