Launch of the 10th Edition of the "Istanbul Arab Book Fair"

SadaNews - The activities of the 10th edition of the "Istanbul International Arab Book Fair" launched yesterday, Saturday, in the Turkish city of Istanbul, under the slogan "Arabic Remains", with wide participation including more than 300 publishing houses from over 20 countries.

The fair, which is considered the largest Arab cultural event in Turkey and the largest Arab book fair outside the Arab world, is held at the "Eurasia Hall" in the Yenikapı Exhibition Center and will continue until August 17. It is organized by the "International Arab Publishers Association" in coordination with the Turkish Publishers Union and the Turkish Publishers Association, with support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.

The opening ceremony was attended by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, along with a number of officials, thinkers, and writers from Turkey and the Arab world. According to the organizers, the fair aims to attract 100,000 visitors and will feature various cultural activities including intellectual lectures, literary and poetic evenings, book signing events, in addition to specialized sections such as "Language Corner", "Intellectual Property Rights", and "Educational Institutions".

"Arabic Was and Will Remain"

In his inaugural speech, the general coordinator of the fair, Muhammad Ager Akca, stressed that the event represents "a cultural gathering in Istanbul targeting members of the communities and lovers of the Arabic language and youth in Turkey". He added: "Arabic has been here for a long time, and it will remain, and as long as Islam and Muslims exist, the Arabic language will continue".

For his part, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül emphasized the importance of learning the Arabic language, stating: "Arabic is not just for the Arab communities, but it is a language of culture and civilization as it was in the past... just as we care about Turkish, we must care about Arabic".

Additionally, the president of the International Arab Publishers Association, Mahdi Al-Jumayli, stated that "Arabic will persist as long as the connections that bind Muslims to one another exist, for Arabic connects Arabs with Turks and Kurds", pointing out that "Turkey has become a hub for the transfer of Arabic books printed in Arab countries and in Istanbul to Europe and the world".

In his remarks, writer and former advisor to the Turkish president, Yasin Aktaş, considered the slogan 'Arabic Remains' to be inspiring, adding that "Arabic remains not because it is a choice, but it is our mother tongue... the vocabulary of Arabic in Turkish does not fall short of 7-8 thousand words, and this is evidence of the integration of Arabic with Turkish".

The opening session also witnessed speeches from the Secretary-General of the Arab Publishers Union, Bashar Shbaro, and the dean of Palestinian prisoners, Naim Barghouti, who spent four decades in Israeli prisons. Upon the conclusion of the speeches, the inaugural ribbon was cut to commence the days of Arab culture in Istanbul.