Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan yesterday called on the Chinese and Turkish governments to make greater efforts in translating works by the other country’s writers, to increase understanding and friendship between their people.

Mo made the plea at a press conference in Istanbul, where he has spent five days during a weeklong tour as the final guest in the “100 Chinese Intellectuals” initiative, invited by the Turkish government.

“Reading books is a kind of in-depth understanding by the people of different countries,” he said, noting that “the main problem between the two countries in literature is the lack of the translated books.”

“I have only had the chance to read the books of Orhan Pamuk, as he is the only Turkish writer whose books have been translated into Chinese, and Turkish readers (reading Chinese authors) most probably only read my work,” said Mo, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012.

Mo visited Pamuk, the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, on Friday. The Nobel laureates agreed to contribute more to accelerate the translations of the both countries’ literature works.

“I am sure that Orhan Pamuk would support the translation projects. I want my visit to Turkey to be a breakthrough in that context,” he said.

Mo said that he had gathered memories and materials during his Turkey’s visit to be used in a future book.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul met with Mo on Friday, praising his great contribution to world literature.

The 100 Chinese Intellectuals project is the biggest in the history of relations between China and Turkey.