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www.zaman.com Launched by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2005, “The Turkish Culture, Art and Literature Subvention Project,†is the largest literacy project in the history of the Turkish Republic.
The ministry subsidized 39 books in 2005, and plans to subsidize and promote 41 more books in 2006. The books to share in the project are selected from among the applications of foreign publishing houses by a related ministry committee.
Macedonian publishing houses are interested in historical events and Turkish poets, they focus on translations of Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s “Safahat,†and Mehmet Niyazi’s book titled “Canakkale Mahseriâ€Â, which is about the Gallipoli campaign during World War I.
Austrians, who had close relations with the Ottoman Empire in the past, are interested in Mustafa Isen’s “Balkanlarda Osmanli Mirasi.â€Â
Many other countries including Iran, Britain, South Korea and even Burkina Faso are interested in the translations of Turkish books by Peyami Safa, Sait Faik Abasiyanik, Orhan Pamuk, Elif Safak, Perihan Magden,and many other traditional and contemporary Turkish writers and poets.â€Â
Turkish Libraries and Publications General Manager Ahmet Ari said they prefer not to intervene in the preferences of foreign publishing houses. Ari explained these publishing houses generally choose the book or books which will most attract their own reader profile. Ari said the important point was to promote Turkey to the world through Turkish literature, and added that they aim at publishing the works of 500 Turkish writers in different languages during the next 10 years. Ari said the TEDA project was well prepared: “There are similar projects in other countries worldwide; however, none of them managed to achieve significant success in under two years. Our project, on the other hand, managed to bring 17 Turkish books to the bookcases of the world in just two years. “ | 
