Turkey is positioned at the crossroads of ancient civilisations which shaped world history, Erdogan said at the opening of the Yunus Emre Institute, one of 45 in 37 countries.
He and Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac spoke of the strength of Croatian-Turkish historical ties. Kovac, Croatian Culture Minister Zlatko Hasanbegovic, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, Erdogan's wife and other members of the Turkish delegation cut the ribbon together.
Erdogan said he was pleased with the close cooperation between Zagreb's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Yunus Emre Institute.
Since 2009, through this institute, named after the 14th century Turkish poet and Sufi philosopher, Turkey has been promoting the Turkish language, culture and history as well as strengthening the cultural exchange between communities and regions.
Written on the walls of the Culture Centre's entrance hall are Turkish words which have entered the Croatian language, which Erdogan referred to, wishing Croatia and Turkey to have a good partnership.
Kovac recalled the importance of the Turkish economy and Turkey's role as a bridge between Asia and Europe. He said the opening of the centre complemented the centennial of Islam in Croatia.
The centre, which will offer free Turkish language courses, was opened with an exhibition of Bosporus photographs from the mid-19th to the 20th century, all originals testifying to Istanbul's cosmopolitan spirit.