11ᵗʰ Istanbul Publishing Fellowship

The 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship, organized by the Turkish Press and Publishers Copyright and Licencing Society (TBYM) and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey, was held on February 10-11-12 at the Taşyapı Event and Congress Center. The 11th IPF, primarily sponsored by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture, along with Taşyapı, Turkish Airlines, and Anadolu Agency, was concluded with contributions from TUGEV, DEKMEB, and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO). The program proved highly productive for both local and international participants, featuring intensive meetings conducted by 225 foreign and 110 local publishers from 73 countries. During the program, participants held a total of 5,996 scheduled bilateral meetings, resulting in the preparation of more than 4,000 preliminary copyright agreements. Additionally, it is estimated that the total number of meetings exceeded 7,000 with various other discussions held throughout the event.

The global communications partnership of Anadolu Agency continued this year as well. The 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship (IPF) was held within the integrative environment provided by the Taşyapı Event and Congress Center. Organized in cooperation with the Association of Press and Publishing Türkiye and the Turkish Press and Publishers Copyright and Licencing Society (TBYM), the 11th IPF, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Türkiye, brought together hundreds of national and international participants.

The 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship (IPF), with Indonesia designated as the focus country, commenced with an opening ceremony held on February 10. Among the leading attendees were Istanbul Deputy Governor Yücel Gemici and Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı; also present were Indonesia’s Consul General Darianto Harsono, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Taşyapı Emrullah Turanlı, and Member of the Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Münir Üstün.

The program, which commenced with speeches by Mehmet Burhan Genç, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Turkish Press and Publishers Copyright and Licencing Society, featured Genç emphasizing the progress of the Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship over the years. He underlined that the IPF has become a critical meeting point within the international publishing sector and spoke of its significant contributions to Turkish literature and the publishing industry.

Following TBYM Chairman Mehmet Burhan Genç, Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation, delivered his address. Erdoğan emphasized that Istanbul—renowned as a cradle of civilizations and a meeting point of cultures—has further strengthened its role as a cultural bridge by hosting the International Publishing Fellowship. He also underlined the importance of international cultural initiatives such as the IPF in expanding the reach of Turkish publishing and carrying culture beyond national borders.

Subsequently, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı delivered his remarks, providing information on the scope of the program. Highlighting the broad international reach of the IPF, he underscored Istanbul’s central position within the global publishing sector.

The 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship was held this year at the Taşyapı Event and Congress Center. Taşyapı, the venue sponsor of the event, also provided sponsorship support in various areas for the 11th IPF. During the opening ceremony, Emrullah Turanlı, Chairman of the Board of Taşyapı, delivered a welcoming address. Expressing his pleasure in hosting such a comprehensive and international event, Turanlı stated his hope that supporting cultural initiatives would contribute to promoting Turkish publishing on the international stage.

Following Turanlı, Halil Çelik, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Press and Publishing Türkiye, delivered his remarks. Subsequently, Münir Üstün, Member of the Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, took the floor and emphasized that the publishing sector plays a significant role in cultural diplomacy. Drawing attention to Istanbul’s potential to become a global center in this field, he stated, “We believe that we must tell the stories of these lands in our own words.”

Following the opening speeches, a promotional film for the 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship was screened, briefly and effectively presenting the activities carried out within the program to the participants. After the video presentation, Indonesia’s Consul General Darianto Harsono, representing the 2026 Focus Country Indonesia, delivered a speech. In his remarks, Harsono highlighted the cultural and publishing partnership between Türkiye and Indonesia and emphasized the importance of further cooperation. Following his address, he was presented with a special plaque for the Focus Country in recognition of his valuable contribution. In return, commemorative plaques were presented to the invited speakers of the opening ceremony.

The final step of the opening ceremony was the ribbon-cutting, after which the 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship officially began its B2B meetings.

At the gala dinner held following the first day, the Istanbul Copyright Awards and a ceremony of appreciation for sponsors were organized. During the event, a dance performance reflecting Indonesian culture was staged to introduce the cultural richness of the Focus Country.

At the award ceremony held within the gala dinner, the first prize was awarded to Gramedia Publishing Group from Indonesia, the second prize to Buybook Publishing from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the third prize to La Maleta Publishing House from Spain, with plaques presented to the representatives of the publishing houses. As La Maleta was not participating in this year’s program, its award was presented to Blackcat Literary Agency upon the request of the publishing house owner.

The second day of the 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship began with strong participation in the seminars. A “Focus Country Special Session: Publishing and Indonesia,” dedicated to the Indonesian publishing sector, was held. In this session, Wedha Stratesti Yudha, representing the Indonesian Publishers Association, and Yani Kurniawan, owner of the literary agency Literasia Creativa, served as speakers. During the 45-minute session, topics such as publishing activities in Indonesia, market volume, reader behavior, and ongoing developments in cooperation between Turkish and Indonesian publishers were discussed.

The second session, moderated by IPF Coordination Board Member Akif Pamuk, was held under the title “Why Do I Acquire Rights from Turkish Publishers?” Speakers included Lana Krstić from Buybook Publishing (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Szilvia Kuczogi from Európa Könyvkiadó (Hungary), and Ranya Bakr from Al Arabi Publishing in Egypt. Each of these participants represents companies that actively engage in acquiring Turkish literature. The session was attended by a wide range of both domestic and international participants. The aim was to present the attractive aspects of Turkish literature through the experiences of rights buyers and to examine it from the perspective of international publishers. Throughout all seminars, simultaneous Turkish-English interpretation was provided for participants.

The boat tour event, which has now become a tradition following the B2B meetings, was held on the evening of the second day of the 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship. Against the unique backdrop of the Bosphorus, participants enjoyed a dinner and a pleasant cruise, while also having the opportunity to interact in a more informal atmosphere and establish new connections through meaningful dialogue.

The 11th Istanbul International Publishing Fellowship, which continued for three days with intensive meetings totaling more than 5,900 sessions, concluded with a group photograph taken on the final day. As a result of the program, foreign publishers began collaborating with printing houses in Türkiye, establishing bookstores, branches, or publishing houses, and expanding their distribution networks with Türkiye as a regional hub. At the same time, the visibility of the Turkish publishing sector and culture was significantly enhanced, and high-quality international works were introduced to Turkish readers.