As part of the cultural programme accompanying the 30th edition of Doha International Book Fair (DIBF), a symposium entitled ‘Turkish Culture between Historical Depth and Civilizational Openness’ was held on Friday evening and was attended by a large crowd of DIBF visitors.
It was also attended by the ambassador of Turkey to Qatar Fikret Ozer, Professor of History at Qatar University Mustafa Aqil al-Khatib, and Professor of Turkish Language and Literature at Qatar University Ibrahim Adhamoglu.
The Turkish ambassador talked about the importance of cultural exchange between countries, which takes place thanks to translations and language learning. He pointed out that many Turkish intellectuals are keen to learn the Arabic language, noting the significance of translation in transferring knowledge and bringing cultures closer.
He pointed out that the Turkish Ministry of Culture chose a list of 250 books on Arab culture to be translated into Turkish, of which 150 have been translated so far. He Appreciated some Arab efforts in transferring Turkish culture to Arabic, the most important of which is the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding, which has taken upon itself to pay attention to translation.
For his part, Dr Mustafa Aqil gave a historical overview of the Ottoman Empire and the historical circumstances that accompanied its emergence. He also talked about the expansion of the Ottoman Empire towards Europe until the era of Sultan Selim I. He also touched on the Turkish civilisation’s attention to human aspects such as endowments, schools, hospitals and architecture.
During the symposium, Dr Adhamoglu discussed the relations between Qatar and Turkey in the modern era and how they moved to advanced levels in culture and arts and in all fields.
Source:gulf-times.com/
