‘Turkish Corner’ to help students, researchers understand Turkish culture

Turkish Corner inaugurated at National Library of Pakistan (NLP) will strengthen people to people relations of Pakistan and Turkey, giving a platform to Pakistani people to get familiar with the cultural, political and educational system of Turkey.
This was expressed by Federal Secretary for National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH) division, Engineer Aamir Hasan during the inauguration ceremony of `Turkish Corner’ at NLP held on Tuesday.
`Turkish Corner’ was inaugurated by Ambassador of Turkey in Pakistan, Sadik Babur Girgin in a ceremony.
Spekaing on the occasion, the federal secretary said, the division was carrying out serious efforts for upgrading the services of NLP, since taking over its control.
He said the division was implementing two new projects including up-gradation of its services and digitization of rare manuscripts besides introducing the new facilities of Women Resource Centre, Children Section, Section for Persons with Disabilities, Digital Reading Facility, and dedicated facilities for professional groups for which 40 dedicated computer desks shall be added.
He said a number of countries had established their corners in the library including United States of America, Belarus, Azerbaijan and now Turkey to familiarize the people of Pakistan with their cultural, political, educational and social systems.
The Turkish Corner inaugurated this day would also serve a very useful purpose to increase the understanding of Pakistani readers and general public about the Turkish culture and the educational, political and social systems of our brotherly country, he added.
He said, “It would also facilitate Pakistani students in getting access to the educational institutions of Turkey and our researches shall be assisted in conducting research on various aspects of the socio-political systems of Turkey”.
Aamir Hasan thanked the Turkish Embassy, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and National Library of Turkey for their commendable efforts in setting up this corner and also the Turkish government for donating valuable books to this corner.
He said, the people of Pakistan and Turkey shared very strong cultural, religious and historical bonds and such initiatives would further strengthen those strong bonds.
About NLP, he said the library had stock of more than 300,000 catalogued books, 10,000 rare books including microfilms of 580 handwritten ancient manuscripts/scrolls, 45,000 microfiche and 2,000 CDs. It had 5,500 bound volumes of newspapers and periodicals spreading over 50 years and more than 7,000 PhD dissertations.
It also had a special collection from Research Centre for Islamic History Art and Culture (IRCICA) based in Istanbul, and Urdu books published in China provided by China Radio International Service, he added.
The NLP is a depository of Asian Development Bank, and ILO. It has Korean and Bangali books. It hosts a collection of books in Chinese language under a program called Window to China and a good personal collection from Pakistani dignitaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Turkey in Pakistan, Sadik Babur Girgin said Pakistan and Turkey were brothers and the people of both countries were tied in the knot of love, brotherhood and mutual trust.
Expressing delight over establishment of Turk Corner at NLP, he said it would greatly help Pakistani students and researchers to get insight into culture and civilization of Turkey.
The ambassador said this corner would bring people of two countries closer.
He congratulated the federal secretary NH&LH Division and Advisor to Prime Minister on NH&LH, Irfan Siddiqui for their efforts to promote literature and culture.
The event was attended by Director National Library of Turkey, Zulfi Toman, Country Coordinator TIKA, Mehmet Emre Aktuna, Joint Secretary NH&LH Division, Abdul Majeed Khan Niazi and Director of NLP, Ghayur Ahmad.

Source: APP