The Turkish Historical Society (TTK) has announced that nearly 50,000 digital books will be made available free of charge through its online library portal, marking a significant step in the institution’s ongoing digital transformation strategy. The initiative aims to broaden public and academic access to historical and scholarly resources, while responding to contemporary research needs through advanced digital infrastructure.
TTK President Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen stated that the project focuses on providing remote access to rare books, manuscripts, photographic archives, as well as national and international academic databases. He noted that a substantial number of rare printed works and manuscript collections have already been digitized and offered free to researchers, emphasizing that the digitalization process is being implemented systematically to ensure long-term preservation alongside wider accessibility.
According to Özgen, an additional 27,000 new electronic works will be added this year, building on the roughly 20,000 academic sources previously made available, bringing the total to nearly 50,000 free digital books. He also revealed that around 15,000 archival photographs have been opened to users so far, with digitization efforts set to accelerate throughout 2026. In parallel, TTK has launched a trial remote-access service for the Muteferriqa database, granting researchers access to tens of thousands of Ottoman-era books and journals as part of its broader vision to expand and democratize access to historical knowledge.
