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Syria's Minister of Culture, Mohammed Yassin, praised Turkish writer and publisher Peren Birsaygili Mut as a supporter who stood by Syrians through difficult times, according to a widely circulated statement issued as she received the Necip Fazil Award for Thought and Research.
In a post on X on Saturday, Yassin Saleh congratulated Mut, describing her as a "supporter of the Syrian revolution" and the driving force behind a "pioneering project" to bring Syrian literature and translate it into Turkish.
In a statement, the minister said the award recognized her "support for the just causes of people," noting that it was presented to her during the 2025 ceremony.
The Turkish writer and publisher Peren Birsaygili Mut received the Necip Fazil Award for Thought and Research on Friday for her studies highlighting Palestinian cultural and literary resistance.
The event was described as a "grand" ceremony honoring this year's winners.
The award was announced during the Necip Fazil Awards ceremony (Necip Fazil Odulleri), organized by Star Gazetesi with the support of Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with the stated aim of "reviving the spiritual and cultural legacy" of the writer Necip Fazil.
The minister added that the Ministry of Culture of the Syrian Arab Republic will support Muts's "Farabi Kitap" project "in recognition of Peren Muts's sincere efforts."
He said she stood by Syrians during difficult times, "whether in the cultural sphere, in humanitarian work in northern Syria, or during the earthquake period," and stressed the ministry's support for "every project that looks with appreciation to Syria, its culture, and its civilizational role."
Mut is described as a Turkish writer and publisher who has worked to create a distinct space for Arabic literature, especially Syrian literature, within Türkiye's cultural scene.
She serves as editor-in-chief of Farabi Kitap Publishing House in Istanbul, a platform aiming to translate the work of Arab intellectuals into Turkish and other languages.
According to accounts of her professional trajectory, she focuses on translating contemporary Syrian and Palestinian literature into Turkish, driven by her belief that literature is "the true mirror of peoples" and a bridge for understanding their struggles and suffering.
In line with this approach, she has published Turkish translations of works by Syrian authors, including Khairi al Dhahabi, Nouri al Jarrah, and Ibrahim al Jabin, presenting these voices to Turkish readers "for the first time."
The introductory profile explains that Mut established Farabi Kitap as a cross-cultural platform between Turkish and Arab cultures, describing the project as the realization of a long-held dream, supported by a team experienced in editing and publishing.
Through the publishing house, she has offered Turkish readers "a collection of translated Syrian works" produced to high standards.
Among the notable titles is Izz al Din al Qassam: From Syria to Palestine, A Story of Resistance, written by Mut and published in both Turkish and Arabic.
The profile describes it as "the first detailed biography published in Türkiye" about Izz al-Din al-Qassam (1882 to 1935), presented as a Syrian resistance figure who led a revolt against colonial rule in Palestine. Mut says the book was the outcome of three years of work and that she dedicated it to "the resistance of the Palestinian and Syrian peoples," underscoring a shared destiny.
Farabi Kitap has also released Turkish translations of Syrian novels and poetry collections by writers described as "committed to the values of freedom," including al Dhahabi, al Jarrah, and al Jabin.
Mut likens translation and publishing to "excavating hidden jewels," requiring patience to uncover and present the "treasures of Syrian literature." She adds that Turkish readers' engagement has encouraged her team to expand the project further.
Documenting resistance literature, from Among the Olive Trees to The Rise of Literary Zionism
Alongside her publishing work, Mut has continued research and creative efforts focused on resistance literature and liberation struggles.
In 2021, she published Among the Olive Trees: Images from Palestinian Resistance Literature, presenting portraits of Palestinian writers, poets, and artists active after the Nakba, including Mahmoud Darwish, Ghassan Kanafani, Fadwa Tuqan, Naji al-Ali, and Samih al-Qasim.
She followed this with The Pen and the Rifle: Images from the Great Palestinian Revolt, 1936 to 1939 (2022), issued in Turkish and Arabic editions.
The book documents the lives of figures linked to Palestinian literature during the era of the 1936 revolt, including Syrian and Palestinian personalities described as "sharing the same struggle," such as Izz al-Din al-Qassam and Ibrahim Tuqan.
Her most recent research publication is The Rise of Literary Zionism (2025), which examines the contribution of 30 writers to shaping a collective Zionist narrative and the role of literature in advancing the Zionist project.
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