Turkish envoy stresses cultural collaboration

Calls for stronger literary partnerships between Türkiye and Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye, Irfan Neziroglu, on Tuesday, expressed his appreciation for the strong literary, cultural, social, and political relations between Türkiye and Pakistan, emphasising the need to deepen these ties.

He underscored the importance of renewed institutional partnerships, collaborative translation initiatives, and the organisation of joint literary and cultural events.

Such efforts, he noted, won't only advance mutual literary interests and celebrate shared cultural heroes, but also strengthen people-to-people connections and mutual understanding between the two nations.

The Turkish envoy uttered these words during a visit to the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) where he held a meeting with its Chairperson, Dr Najeeba Arif.

Also present were Dr Halil Toker — celebrated Turkish writer, translator, and intellectual, and Director of the Yunus Emre Institute in Pakistan — as well as PAL's Director General, Sultan Muhammad Nawaz Nasir.

The meeting focused on fostering literary and cultural ties between Pakistan and Türkiye. Dr Najeeba briefed the ambassador on the Academy's initiatives, including the promotion of literature in Pakistani languages, welfare programmes for writers, its publication efforts, and literary translation projects with international partners.

She also referenced the earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Istanbul University and the Academy, and highlighted key publications that reflect longstanding literary collaboration.

Notably, in 1991, PAL published a book on the eminent Turkish poet Yunus Emre. In 2022, as part of its acclaimed series Pakistani Adab ke Me'maar, the Academy published Dr Halil Toker: Shakhsiyat aur Funn. That same year, it also published Jadeed Turki Afsana, a collection translated into Urdu by Dr Halil Toker and Samina Toker.

Dr Najeeba further shared that the Academy regularly features translations of Turkish literary works in its quarterly journal Adabiyat. Over the years, several Turkish writers have visited Pakistan and participated in international conferences organized by the Academy.

Dr Najeeba Arif also commended the contributions of Turkish scholars to Urdu literature, particularly acknowledging the efforts of Dr Halil Toker, Dr Asuman Belen Özcan, and Dr Dawood Shahbaz. The meeting also included discussions on launching joint literary projects between PAL and the Yunus Emre Institute in the coming months.

At the end of the meeting, Dr Najeeba Arif presented a selection of the Academy's publications to His Excellency Mr Irfan Neziroglu and Dr Halil Toker.