Qatar Seeks Closer Ties With Türkiye on Ottoman Manuscripts

Qatar wants to deepen its cooperation with Türkiye on Ottoman manuscripts, historical archives and library services. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and president of Qatar National Library, said so in an interview with Anadolu Agency in Doha on 15 October 2026. For readers of Ottoman history, the talks concern the paper trail behind the empire.

Al Kuwari described Türkiye as a very important country in the Islamic world. In his view, its Ottoman heritage gives it a wealth of manuscripts that other countries cannot match.

What Qatar says it wants from Ottoman manuscripts cooperation

According to Al Kuwari, Qatar National Library keeps close contact with Türkiye’s Presidential National Library in Ankara. It also works with several libraries in Istanbul, which he called one of the world’s leading cultural centres. He said communication has not been interrupted and that Turkish authorities support the cooperation at political and institutional levels.

He added that Qatar National Library itself holds numerous Ottoman-era works. The interview did not name specific titles or new projects, and no new agreement was announced. The message was one of intent: to build on what already exists.

The 2021 agreement behind the talks

The current effort rests on a memorandum of understanding signed on 18 October 2021 between the two libraries. A memorandum of understanding is a formal framework for cooperation, not a binding contract on specific projects. This one covers education, science, culture and librarianship.

It brings specialists together to share expertise in digitization, preservation of historical documents, professional training and joint cultural projects. As part of the cooperation, the Turkish side donated 400 books by Turkish authors to Qatar National Library. Qatar National Library’s own news page confirms the agreement and the donation.

Why Ottoman archives matter to history readers

Manuscripts and archival documents are the raw material for the history that television dramas later retell. Historians use them to check dates, titles, trade, law and daily administration. Series such as Kuruluş Osman and Mehmed: Sultan of Conquests dramatize this period, but a screen story is not evidence. Archives and manuscripts are where claims about the past can actually be tested.

Digitization is the practical step that helps most. When fragile documents are scanned and catalogued, researchers abroad can study them without handling the originals. That is why library partnerships like this one interest scholars as much as diplomats.

Arabic content and artificial intelligence

Al Kuwari also raised a separate point about technology. He said artificial intelligence works well with Arabic, but Arabic content in AI remains limited compared with other languages. He called closing that gap an important responsibility for institutions that protect Arabic language and heritage, and said efforts are underway.

Al Kuwari has led Qatar National Library since 2020. He previously served as Qatar’s minister of culture, arts and heritage and has represented Qatar at UNESCO, the United Nations, and in France and the United States.

Source: Türkiye Today
Featured image: Unknown artist / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain