Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, October 20, 2019
Reports indicate that Turkish-language publishers in Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran have been denied participation in the 17th Tabriz International Book Fair, set to commence on October 21.
Online platforms such as Gunaz TV and Araz News have reported on the issue.
Turkish publishers operating in cities like Tabriz, Urmia, Bonab, and Tehran, including “Kirpi,” “Qalan Yurd,” “Denizçin,” “Azturan,” “Yaz,” “Buta,” “Parlaq Qələm,” “Paytaxt,” and “Əndişəyi Nov,” have reportedly been denied permission to set up booths at the 17th Tabriz International Book Fair.
According to "Online Kitabçı," a platform involved in online book sales in Iranian Azerbaijan, authorities claimed there were not enough booths available to accommodate the publishers.
Mohammad Subhdil, the director of the Buta publishing house in Urmia, stated, "We were among the first publishers to complete the registration form on the relevant website. However, the authorities are using the lack of available booths as an excuse."
"Online Kitabçı" posted on its Instagram account that “Turkish publishers protested this decision to the East Azerbaijan Province’s Department of Guidance and Culture but received no response.”
The Tabriz International Book Fair is scheduled to begin on October 21. According to the semi-official Fars News Agency, the fair will feature 900 domestic and 50 international publishers.
Last May, during the Tehran International Book Fair, an attack by "pan-Iranist" groups on a booth representing a publisher from Iranian Azerbaijan sparked widespread outrage.
In recent years, pressure on individuals and organizations involved in the printing, publishing, and sale of Turkish-language books in Iran has intensified.
During the 2018 Novruz celebrations, cultural activist Behnam Nurmohammadi was detained at his Tehran printing house for publishing a "Turkish Calendar." Following his arrest, two other activists, Yasir Arfai and Mehdi Qamari, were also detained in connection with the matter.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İran Azərbaycanında türk naşirlər kitab sərgisinə alınmayıb