Iran attends 11th Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair

TEHRAN – The 11th Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair, featuring over 300 publishers from more than 30 countries, including Iran, concluded in Istanbul on Sunday.

The pavilion of the Islamic Republic of Iran introduced the country’s cultural and literary capacities to visitors by showcasing a collection of works in the fields of literature, history, art, and cultural heritage, while providing an opportunity for Arabic-speaking audiences to become familiar with Iran’s cultural and literary productions, ILNA reported.

Concurrent with the fair, a delegation of publishers and cultural figures from Iran attended the event to visit its various sections and the Iranian pavilion.

On the sidelines of this visit, the Iranian delegation—accompanied by Bahram Kian, the cultural attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Istanbul—met with Professor Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Director General of IRCICA (Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture), to discuss developing relations among publishers, authors, and cultural activists from Iran and IRCICA.

Following this trip, the members of the Global Palestinian Literature Award delegation met with Ahmad Mohammadi, the Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Istanbul, and Bahram Kian at the Consulate General’s office to discuss potential for cultural and literary cooperation.

Emphasizing the importance of utilizing cultural and literary capacities to support the Palestinian cause, Mohammadi stressed the necessity of strengthening ties with writers, poets, publishers, and cultural activists from various countries, as well as promoting literary works related to Palestine.

During the meeting, Meysam Nili, head of the Islamic Revolution Publishers Association and chairman of the Policy Council for the Global Palestinian Literature Award, stated that the Literature Award is an international, non-governmental event organized in cooperation with cultural and literary unions and associations from several countries.

He added that the goal of this award is to identify and introduce the best literary works published regarding Palestine, the resistance of the Palestinian people, the liberation of the Holy Quds (Jerusalem), and the crimes of the Zionist regime in Palestine. It also aims to honor writers, poets, and publishers worldwide who have defended the Palestinian people through their work.

Emphasizing the grassroots and international nature of the event, Nili said, “This award belongs to the nations that support Palestine; writers, poets, and publishers from all over the world are invited to join this cultural and literary movement to support the Palestinian people and defend the Holy Quds, the first Qibla of Muslims.”

Regarding the objectives of the delegation’s trip to Istanbul, he noted that identifying writers, poets, publishers, and literature related to Palestine and resistance in Turkey is a primary goal. Efforts are being made to recognize the literary and cultural capacities in this field and to establish paths for communication and collaboration between the secretariat of this entity and their counterparts in Turkey.

The meeting concluded with an emphasis on the necessity of utilizing international book fairs, cultural institutions, and networks of publishers and writers to expand literary and cultural interactions and to promote works related to Palestine.

The first edition of the Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair was held in 2016, with the participation of 170 publishing houses from 15 Arab countries, in addition to Iran, Turkey, and Italy.

In the years that followed, the fair developed into an annual event for the Arabic publishing industry in Turkey and a platform for interaction among Arab and Turkish publishers, readers, and cultural institutions.

The fair targets the millions of Arabs living in Turkey, as well as people of Arab origin and those who speak Arabic, seeking to promote the Arabic language in Turkey and strengthen cultural ties between Arabs and Turks.

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