The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has renovated the public library in Herat Province, Afghanistan, and donated 2,000 books to the facility.
Taliban officials in Herat said the initiative aims to promote a culture of reading and provide study opportunities for young people.
The announcement comes as the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture has banned the sale and reading of more than 400 book titles across the country.
According to local booksellers, the banned books include works on Shia beliefs, modern governance, sociology, and political figures such as Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Titles covering democracy, political freedoms, social sciences, and the arts, including novels and poetry, have also been restricted.
Booksellers say they were provided with a list of banned titles, which targets content that, according to the Taliban, contradicts their ideological framework.
Despite the restrictions, efforts like the library renovation reflect a complex environment where cultural promotion coexists with stringent controls on information and expression.
