Turkish VP Oktay urges preserving Middle East scientific legacy

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Thursday called for cooperation in international community to preserve the scientific legacy in the Middle East.

Speaking at a meeting introducing the Preservation of the Middle East's Academic Heritage Project, Fuat Oktay said: "It aims to revive the region's scientific history, particularly in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Yemen."

He added the goal of the project is also to raise international cooperation to preserve the region's science centers, historical kulliyes -- Islamic-Ottoman social complexes --and libraries.

It aims to show the Turkey's academic potential, its role in the region and contributions to the academic life, Oktay said.

The vice president also called on the civil society, think-tanks and human rights organizations to be the part of the project.

"Besides this invitation, panels will be held in the U.S., Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, the U.K. and Russia as part of the project to raise awareness," Oktay said.

"In order to make this awareness sustainable, [the project] will ensure that the issue is included in the agenda of supra-national structures such as the European Parliament," he added.

The project aims to formulate new policies and strategies to preserve academic heritage in the Middle East, Oktay mentioned.