The foundation-laying ceremony for the Uzbekistan State School to be built in İstanbul’s Bakırköy district was held on Thursday, marking a significant step in strengthening educational cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan.

The ceremony, organized by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, took place in the Ataköy 7th–10th Sections Neighborhood. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan participated in the event via video conference.

Among those attending in person were Uzbekistan’s Minister of Preschool and School Education Ezozkhon Karimova, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of National Education Bilal Macit, İstanbul Governor Davut Gül, Uzbekistan’s Consul General in İstanbul Sherzod Abdunazarov, AK Party İstanbul Provincial Chair Abdullah Özdemir, as well as Turkish and Uzbek citizens.

The ceremony began with a moment of silence, followed by the national anthems of Türkiye and Uzbekistan. Uzbek artist Lola Akhmedova then gave a brief musical performance.

As the delegation moved to the designated construction site, Presidents Erdoğan and Mirziyoyev joined the event live during their joint press conference at the Presidential Complex. Following President Erdoğan’s request to view the site via a wide-angle feed and his messages of goodwill, the foundation stone was unveiled by the delegation together with Turkish and Uzbek children.

The project is part of a broader initiative to establish reciprocal educational institutions in both countries. To this end, the Ministers of National Education of Türkiye and Uzbekistan signed a Land Allocation Protocol on 1 November 2025.

Under the agreement, Uzbekistan allocated a plot of land in the Kohota Neighborhood of Tashkent’s Shaykhantakhur District to Türkiye. While ownership of the building remains with Uzbekistan, Türkiye was granted a perpetual, free-of-charge usufruct right.

In return, Türkiye allocated a property located within the grounds of Bakırköy Özyazıcı Special Education Secondary School in İstanbul’s Bakırköy district to Uzbekistan. Ownership of the building will remain with Türkiye, and the allocation was made free of charge.

Officials from both sides said the initiative reflects the deepening strategic partnership between Türkiye and Uzbekistan and is expected to contribute to cultural exchange and educational ties between the two nations. (ILKHA)