SMIU to establish Turkish cultural centre

The Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) has decided to establish a Turkish cultural centre on the campus. Prof Dr Halil Toker, director of Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Center, Islamabad, and Elam Ali Teepu, Turkish lecturer at the University of Karachi Karachi held a meeting with SMIU Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Mujeeb Sahrai at his office on Monday where they agreed on establishing a Turkish cultural centre at the varsity with the support of the Turkish government.

It was also decided that the Turkish language would be taught to students of the SMIU. Initially, 30 students would be enrolled for Turkish, and later their number would be increased. Dr Sahrai said Pakistan and Turkiye had close relations being brotherly Muslim countries, and such steps would bring the people of both countries closer.

“The Sindh Madressatul Islam University has more than 150-year-old relations with Turkiye because the founder of SMI Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi had served as a consul general of Turkiye in Karachi during the period of the Ottoman Empire,” the VC said and added that the SMIU was planning to establish the Rumi Chair at the university.

The Turkish scholar said he had read the name of Effendi in a history book of the Ottoman Empire, in which it was mentioned that he gave a donation to the Ottoman Empire during the Turkish-Russia war.

The SMIU VC nominated Dr Subhash Guriro, chairperson of the SMIU social and development studies department, as a focal person for coordination for establishing the cultural centre. Later, the Turkish delegation visited Jinnah Museum and other departments of the SMIU.