Atatürk Supreme Council Library Opens with an Official Ceremony
Bringing together Türkiye’s deep-rooted legacy in culture, language, and history under one roof, the Atatürk Supreme Council Library was officially opened with a ceremony. Held with the participation of the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the event marked not only the inauguration of the new library but also the introduction of the General Reader Series prepared by the Turkish Historical Society, representing an important step toward strengthening access to scholarly knowledge.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Ersoy wished the Atatürk Supreme Council Library well, noting that it brings together the libraries of the Atatürk Research Center, the Turkish Language Association, the Turkish Historical Society, and the Atatürk Culture Center under a single roof. Emphasizing that the General Reader Series is more than a publishing initiative, Ersoy stated that these efforts constitute a significant investment in the future of national identity and cultural heritage. Drawing attention to the growing problem of information pollution in the digital age, he underlined that introducing younger generations to reliable and high-quality academic sources is one of the core responsibilities of the Turkish Historical Society.
The President of the Supreme Council, H.E. Prof. Dr. Derya Örs, pointed out that reading habits have been transforming in line with the changing needs of the times. In this context, he noted that a new publishing initiative was launched in cooperation with the Turkish Historical Society in 2023. The initiative focuses on works designed for the general reader—portable volumes that can be read within a short time. Stating that the goal is to publish a total of 100 titles, H.E. Prof. Dr. Örs reported that 27 books have already been printed, 48 are ready for publication, and the remaining works are planned to be completed in 2026. Speaking about the newly opened library, he added that the Atatürk Research Center, the Turkish Language Association, the Turkish Historical Society, and the Atatürk Culture Center together possess a specialized collection of approximately 500,000 volumes, a significant portion of which consists of rare books and manuscripts.
The President of the Turkish Historical Society, Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen, also shared his assessment of the General Reader Series, stating: “This series of 100 books is not merely a publishing project; it is a cultural bridge that revitalizes our national memory and narrows the distance between us and our shared past.”
Following the speeches, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, officially opening the new library that unites the libraries of four institutions affiliated with the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History under a single roof.
