Muhammad Zakir Hossain, Chairman of the Al-Ummah Foundation, visited Ankara and met with top figures to boost the Foundation’s vision of establishing a multilingual media platform dedicated to journalism, intellectual exchange, cultural heritage and issues affecting Muslim communities worldwide.

The meetings with Professor Dr. Selim Argun, President of the Yunus Emre Institute, and Professor Dr. Yasin Aktay, a distinguished Turkish scholar, writer and public intellectual, focused on cultural heritage, contemporary challenges facing Muslim societies, the development of the Foundation’s international media initiative and opportunities for future cooperation between institutions in Bangladesh and Türkiye.

A visit to Yunus Emre Institute

The Foundation chairman met with Professor Dr. Selim Argun at the Yunus Emre Institute headquarters in Ankara. The meeting was vitally important as the discussions centred on the preservation of Islamic and Muslim cultural heritage, historical awareness, intellectual development and opportunities for cooperation between the Yunus Emre Institute and the Al-Ummah Foundation.

Zakir briefed Professor Argun about his Foundation’s website and journal and the mission to promote journalism, knowledge-sharing, and informed discussion of issues affecting Muslim communities around the world.

While Argun appreciated the initiative and its potential contribution to intellectual engagement, the two sides explored possible areas of future cooperation in those areas of common interest.

Zakir invited Professor Argun to visit Bangladesh, which he cordially accepted and expressed his willingness to visit at a mutually convenient time.

A bridge for cultural understanding

The Yunus Emre Institute, one of Türkiye’s principal institutions for global cultural engagement, plays an important role in the country’s cultural diplomacy. Named after Yunus Emre, the celebrated Anatolian poet whose writings are associated with humanity, compassion and spiritual reflection, the Institute promotes Turkish language, culture, history and arts internationally.

Founded on 5 May 2007, the Institute has developed an international network of cultural centres and educational programmes intended to introduce Turkish language and culture to audiences around the world.

Its activities include Turkish-language education, cultural and artistic events, support for Turkish studies at overseas educational institutions, and programmes that encourage academic exchange and intercultural understanding.

While the Institute focuses on promoting Turkish culture and language, the Foundation seeks to develop a multilingual media platform highlighting the heritage, intellectual contributions and contemporary concerns of Muslim communities. These complementary areas of activity may provide a basis for future dialogue and potential cooperation, subject to further discussion and agreement between the institutions.

Meeting Professor Yasin Aktay

Zakir Hossain also met Professor Dr. Yasin Aktay, a prominent Turkish academic, writer and public intellectual whose work encompasses scholarship, political thought and public affairs.

Professor Aktay previously served as a chief adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and as a deputy chairman of Türkiye’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He has contributed to public discussions on political, social and intellectual issues affecting Türkiye and the wider Muslim world.

Their meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the contemporary international situation, the political and social landscape in Bangladesh and Türkiye, and the challenges confronting Muslim communities across different regions.

A central theme of the discussion was the importance of strengthening communication among scholars, intellectuals, researchers and institutions working on issues relevant to the Muslim world. The participants considered how informed debate, intellectual cooperation and constructive dialogue could contribute to a deeper understanding of shared challenges.

Zakir briefed Professor Aktay on the development of the Al-Ummah Foundation’s website and journal, explaining the initiative’s ambition to establish an international media platform connecting Muslim communities across national, linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Professor Aktay was already familiar with the initiative, having attended the inaugural event for the Foundation’s website and journal during a previous visit to Bangladesh, where he delivered a speech highlighting the significance of the project.

During their subsequent meeting in Ankara, Professor Aktay expressed interest in the platform’s development and offered suggestions regarding its future direction. The discussion highlighted the importance of informed analysis, professional journalism and international intellectual participation in building a credible media institution.

According to the Foundation, the meeting also included discussions about continuing engagement and exploring opportunities for further cooperation. These included a proposed gathering in Istanbul in early December, subject to further planning and mutual agreement.

Building stronger connections

The meetings in Ankara reflect opportunities to deepen intellectual and cultural engagement between Bangladesh and Türkiye, two countries with substantial Muslim populations and distinct historical experiences.

Academic exchanges, cultural programmes, publications and professional media initiatives can provide channels for exploring shared interests while encouraging a more comprehensive understanding of each country’s history, society and contemporary circumstances.

For Bangladesh, engagement with Turkish scholars and cultural institutions may help broaden academic networks, introduce new perspectives on cultural and historical research, and encourage international discussion of issues relevant to younger generations.

For Turkish institutions and intellectuals, a dialogue with Bangladeshi organizations can create opportunities to engage with Bangladesh’s cultural heritage, academic community, public discourse and developing media environment.

Engaging the next generation through knowledge and heritage

An important theme emerging from the discussions in Ankara was the value of connecting younger generations with their historical, cultural and intellectual heritage.

For Muslim communities worldwide, access to reliable historical resources, educational opportunities and informed discussion can help young people understand the experiences that have shaped their societies. Such engagement can also encourage critical thinking and a more informed response to contemporary social, political and cultural challenges.

The Al-Ummah Foundation aims to contribute to this process through its website and journal while exploring opportunities to engage with academic and cultural institutions.

Potential areas for future initiatives include expert interviews, historical and cultural features, contributions from researchers, educational publications and exchanges between scholars in Bangladesh and Türkiye. These remain prospective areas of development rather than confirmed joint programmes.

By giving greater attention to younger audiences, the Foundation hopes to connect its international media ambitions with educational objectives, making cultural knowledge and informed perspectives more accessible across countries and languages.

Practical cooperation

The meetings in Ankara represent an important stage in the Al-Ummah Foundation’s international outreach. Engagement with Professor Dr. Selim Argun and Professor Dr. Yasin Aktay has provided opportunities to present the Foundation’s objectives, exchange views on issues affecting Muslim societies and explore potential areas of cultural and intellectual cooperation.

The Foundation aims to translate these discussions into clearly defined activities, where appropriate, through continued communication, agreed programmes and mutually beneficial partnerships.

The proposed Istanbul gathering and the possibility of future engagement with the Yunus Emre Institute will require further planning and agreement before specific outcomes can be established.

For the Foundation, the broader challenge is to combine international networking with the consistent production of reliable journalism, meaningful intellectual exchange and professionally managed multilingual publishing.