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| Screenshots from Said Muganli's Instagram Story posts, where he discusses the confiscation of Turkish books from stands at the Tehran International Book Fair. |
At the Tehran International Book Fair, some Turkish books from the stands of Turkish publishers were confiscated by Iran’s security forces and the fair’s security office.
Sources such as Günaz TV and Araz News reported this incident, citing poet and journalist Said Muganli.
According to the information and visuals shared by Muganli on his Instagram account, books such as Qurdların Mifi (The Myth of Wolves), Bayatılar (Folk Songs), Azərbaycan Nağılları (Azerbaijani Tales), Səməd Behrənginin Nağılları (Samad Behrangi’s Tales), Nəsiminin Divanı (Nasimi’s Collection), Bağlama Pəncərəsi (The Binding Window), Azərbaycan Tarixi (Azerbaijani History), Azərbaycan Coğrafiyası (Azerbaijani Geography), Turan Tarixi (The History of Turan), as well as all the works of the late Mohammad Taqi Zehtabi and several other books, were confiscated from the stands. This happened despite the fact that these books were published with the approval of Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Guidance.
According to Muganli, "Pan-Iranist groups and members of the anti-Turk 'Azeri' faction report these books to security forces, and the authorities confiscate the books based on these reports."
In previous years, Turkish books displayed by various publishers at book fairs in cities like Tehran and Tabriz have also been confiscated following orders from security forces.
Individuals and organizations working in the fields of Turkish-language printing, publishing, and book sales in Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran face regular pressures. In past years, some cultural activists printing Turkish-language calendars have been arrested and prosecuted. Writers have highlighted that their works are subject to heavy censorship not only regarding their content but also in the words, terminology, and writing styles they use. Even books that receive publication approval are subject to confiscation at book fairs after these restrictions are enforced.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Tehran kitab sərgisində türk naşirlərin stendlərindən bəzi kitablar yığışdırılıb