This photo shows the study area of the Rami Library in İstanbul.
Türkiye plans to open 10 new-generation libraries, digitize 20,000 manuscripts and rare works and restore 1,100 historical items in 2027 as part of efforts to expand access to knowledge and preserve the country’s cultural heritage.
A government program aims to transform libraries from facilities primarily used to store and lend books into spaces where knowledge is produced and shared and people can socialize.
Since 2018, construction has been completed on 29 new-generation library buildings, while 616 libraries have been renovated and equipped with modern facilities. Türkiye currently has more than 1,300 public libraries, with a combined indoor area exceeding 777,000 square meters and seating capacity for 160,000 people.
As of 2025, public libraries held 26.1 million books and had 7.2 million registered members, serving 39.2 million users. In 2027, authorities also plan to complete construction of 12 libraries, functionally restructure another 12 and open two new cultural centers.
The Presidency of Manuscripts Institution of Türkiye holds 811,527 manuscripts and rare printed works documenting the intellectual heritage of Islamic and Turkish-Islamic history. Since 2012, the institution has added 27,201 manuscripts and rare printed works to its collections through acquisitions. The digitization rate of materials held in manuscript libraries has reached 93 percent.
Under the 2027 program, authorities aim to create digital archives of 20,000 manuscripts and rare works and restore 1,100 items. They also plan to acquire 4,000 additional manuscripts and rare printed works through purchases and donations from public and private collections in Türkiye and abroad.
The program further envisages publishing 45 classical works from the Turkish-Islamic literary tradition, preparing detailed bibliographic records for 27,000 items and organizing 251 cultural and scientific events on manuscripts and rare works at national and international levels.
