7th International Arabic Book Fair to start in Istanbul

ISTANBUL (AA): Istanbul’s seventh International Arabic Book Fair will start on Oct. 1, under the theme “An Unlimited World,” this year.

Anadolu Agency (AA) is the global communication partner of the event, which will feature more than 250 publishers from 29 countries.

The fair will also hold more than 100 conferences, panels, literacy meetings, book signings, poetry recitals, concerts, exhibits, theater performances, and art workshops.

Muhammed Ağırakça, the exhibition coordinator, told AA that borders are artificial and that people can cross them using cultural assets.

He stressed that non-Arab countries, including Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, are also coming to the fair.

“We want to create a cultural force against discrimination and racism. We want to send a message from Türkiye to the world using this soft power,” he said.

“This is what we mean by our slogan ‘A World Without Borders.’ There are different colors here … Every color exists in Istanbul,” he added.

Mehdi Jumeyli, head of the International Arabic Book Publishers, said the fair acts as a cultural bridge between societies.

He said many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) will also take part in the fair, which includes all sectors of society.

Istanbul’s seventh International Arabic Book Fair, which this year hopes to welcome 150,000 visitors, aims to meet all kinds of book needs of the Arab community in Istanbul, whether tourists or immigrants, wholesale or retail.