ISTANBUL, March 7 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 books were put up for sale on the China Bookshelf that was opened Wednesday in a Nezih bookstore in Istanbul, as part of the efforts to promote cultural exchanges between China and Turkey.

These books, which cover politics, economy, culture and diet, are mainly published by China Intercontinental Press, which is among the first Chinese publishers to develope cooperation with Turkey.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Yang Xue, deputy director of International Cooperation Department of the Chinese press, said the opening of China Bookshelf in Istanbul is expected to expand the scope of cooperation and deepen bilateral cultural exchanges between China and Turkey.

Ali Babayigit, the general coordinator with the Nezih group, also hailed the opening of China Bookshelf, saying culture exchanges draw the two countries closer.

Some guests and readers performed paper cutting and Chinese calligraphy under the guidance of the teachers and students from the Confucius Institute at Yeditepe University following the opening ceremony.

Under the "That's China Bookshelf" program, China Intercontinental Press has now set up nine such bookshelves in seven countries since 2016, namely Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Germany, Singapore, Chile and Turkey.