A two-day exhibition in Herat province displayed historical documents exchanged between Afghanistan and Turkey over the years with some of them date back to the 17th century.

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in Herat said the purpose of displaying the documents is to expand the relations between the two countries.

The institution said that 103 documents exhibited have been brought from several Turkish museums.

From a letter of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1722, to Mustafa III, Shah of Ottoman, to the letters of Afghan King Amanullah to the Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were among the historical documents displayed in the exhibition.

“We want to show the time-tested relations between Afghanistan and Turkey through this exhibition. Another exhibition will be held too, and next year, the Afghanistan-Turkish Relations Symposium will be held,” said Ali Arghon Chinar, head of TIKA in Herat.

Officials said 200 other documents of a similar nature will be brought to Herat and all will be documented in a book in Farsi.

“These are the documents that can be used to write on Afghanistan-Turkey relations. These are important historical documents,” said Jawed Zarghan, head of Culture and Art of the Ministry of Information and Culture in Herat. “From Ahmad Shah Abdali’s letter to Mustafa III to other documents exchanged between the two countries during the government of King Amanullah.”

Herat activists said such events give a different perception to Afghans on Afghanistan-Turkey ties during the course of history.

“The exhibition shows a longstanding relationship between the two countries and it can be effective for those who want to explore the historical and cultural relations between the two countries,” said Abdul Majid Mirzai, an activist from Herat.

A calligraphy exhibition of Afghan and Turkish artists in Istanbul and the Afghanistan-Turkey symposium in Turkey are the cultural events of the TIKA agency in the past year.