Library

ÖMER HALUK SİPAHİOĞLU LIBRARY

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Library was first established in the building in Ulus—now home to the Ministry of Culture—which served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1927 and 1952. The core of the original library consisted of book collections from various departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located at Bab-ı Ali. In 1956, Mr. Adnan Ötüken, Director of the National Library, ensured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Library was reorganized in accordance with modern library practices.

In 1999, our library was named as the martyred diplomat Ömer Haluk Sipahioğlu. Pursuant to Circular No. 3638669 dated June 7, 2011, the Ömer Haluk Sipahioğlu Library, which was affiliated with the Directorate General of Diplomatic Archives, moved to its new location in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives Building in March 2012.

Our Ministry’s Library aims to become a specialized library by providing, organizing, and effectively making available the resources that our staff and departments may need to carry out their duties. The library’s collection is primarily enriched through internal and external donations and publications received through official channels. The collection consists of books, reference materials, e-books, and rare works published in Turkish and foreign languages, primarily in the fields of Turkish Foreign Policy, International Law, International Relations, and History. Due to the allocation of the library’s physical space to the Ministry’s E-Archive project, the system has transitioned from an open-shelf system to a closed-stack system. The library collection is organized according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System and is tracked and recorded electronically via an automation program. These operations are currently carried out by two staff members who are professional librarians. Our staff members can access the library catalog and e-books through the internal intranet system.

Ömer Haluk SİPAHİOĞLU

Born in Istanbul in 1948, Ömer Haluk Sipahioğlu is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Ankara University. He began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Career Officer in 1977 and served in the Ministry’s headquarters and overseas offices until 1993. In 1993, he was appointed as Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in Athens; while serving in this capacity, he was martyred on July 4, 1994, as a result of an armed attack.

Useful Links

- Works by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Staff and Retired Ambassadors

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/disisleri-bakanligi-mensuplari-ve-emekli-buyukelcilerin-eserleri.tr.mfa

- Prestige/Promotional Publications of Some of Our Missions

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.tr.mfa?5f821d1f-2f06-4bc5-bc02-23105d820f1f