Istanbul's 7th International Arabic Book Fair to kick off next weekend

By Aise Humeyra Bulovali

ISTANBUL (AA) – Istanbul’s 7th International Arabic Book Fair will kick off next Saturday, Oct. 1.

With the theme this year of "An Unlimited World,” the fair will be held at the Istanbul Expo Center on Oct. 1-9.

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

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

Muhammed Agirakca, the exhibition coordinator, told Anadolu Agency 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 NGOs will also take part in the fair which includes all sectors of society.

Istanbul’s 7th 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.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar