Erdogan's Dream : Turkish Presidential Library

The Presidential Library is the largest library in Turkey with its collection of over 4 million books in 134 different languages, and 120 million articles and reports. The Presidential Library, which has the largest incipient collection in the world, was officially inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 20, 2020. In addition to receiving a copy of materials printed in the country, as a depository library, the Presidential Library also receives books, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry, from every country where Turkey has a diplomatic mission. It is home to the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, the first comprehensive dictionary of Turkic languages, compiled in 1072–74 by the Turkic scholar Mahmud Kashgari, among many other manuscripts and rare books. Located inside the Presidential Complex, the Library is 125,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 5,000 readers at a time. The library building is decorated with white and pink marble, designed with traditional Seljuk, Ottoman and contemporary motifs.

The Library project was spearheaded by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2016 through the efforts of Turkish intellectuals, librarians, and NGOs, and inaugurated in February 2020. The Presidential Library is the largest single library investment in the history of Turkish Republic. It also is the first library in Turkey to use integrated book conveyor system.