The Turkish Historical Society (TTK) has announced that nearly 50,000 electronic books will be made available free of charge through its library portal as part of the institution’s ongoing digitalization efforts.
TTK President Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen said the institution is expanding its digital infrastructure in line with contemporary academic needs in order to facilitate easier access to library and archival resources for researchers and readers.
Within this scope, work is continuing to provide remote digital access to rare works, manuscripts, photographic archives, as well as domestic and international electronic books and academic databases held within the institution.
Özgen recalled that the TTK has already digitized a significant number of rare printed works and manuscript collections, which are now offered free of charge to researchers. He noted that the digital transformation process is being carried out systematically to ensure the long-term preservation of historical materials while increasing accessibility.
As part of these efforts, Özgen stated that numerous international foreign-language academic databases have first been made available through trial access, followed by full subscriptions. He explained that approximately 20,000 foreign-language electronic books and academic sources had previously been opened to users, and that an additional 27,000 new works will be added this year.
"With these additions, we will make a total of nearly 50,000 electronic books available free of charge to all our readers,” Özgen said.
Emphasizing that TTK possesses an extensive archival infrastructure, Özgen stated that photo albums within the archive are being gradually transferred into digital format. He noted that around 15,000 photographs have already been opened to user access, and that these digitization efforts will be further accelerated throughout 2026.
In addition to photographic materials, Özgen said that rare books and manuscripts found exclusively within the TTK library are also being digitized and transferred to the online system. He added that approximately 50,000 foreign-language electronic books obtained through international subscriptions will likewise be made available to researchers free of charge.
Özgen also announced the launch of a trial remote-access service for the subscription-based database Muteferriqa through the TTK library portal. He said the platform will be accessible remotely throughout the trial period, allowing researchers and readers to benefit from its extensive content.
Through Muteferriqa, users will be able to access approximately 35,000 books along with nearly 1,400 journals and periodicals. Özgen noted that the collection primarily consists of Ottoman-era printed works dating from the 18th century to the mid-20th century.
The trial access period will continue until Feb. 25, Özgen said, highlighting the institution’s broader strategy, Özgen stressed that the TTK is simultaneously working to expand its library collections numerically while also improving accessibility.
"We are making efforts to ensure that our readers and researchers, both in Türkiye and abroad, can easily access our digitized resources either by visiting our libraries at the Sıhhiye and Bilkent campuses or through remote digital access,” he said.