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The 11th International Istanbul Publishing Fellowship officially opened in Istanbul on Feb. 10, bringing together hundreds of publishing professionals from around the world and reaffirming Türkiye’s growing role in the global copyright and publishing market.
Organized by the Turkish Printing and Publishing Professional Union (TBYM) with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the three-day event hosts 335 publishers from 73 countries, who will hold structured one-on-one meetings to negotiate translation, publishing and adaptation rights and to establish long-term international partnerships
The opening ceremony, held at the Tasyapi Event and Congress Center, was attended by senior officials and sector representatives, including Bilal Erdogan, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ilim Yayma Foundation, and Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gokhan Yazgi, highlighting the strong institutional backing behind the fellowship.
Unlike traditional book fairs, the fellowship is built around a curated system of pre-scheduled bilateral meetings, allowing publishers, editors and literary agents to negotiate translation, publishing and adaptation rights directly.
According to the official program, the first day includes the opening ceremony followed by two sessions of bilateral copyright meetings and an evening gala cocktail, while meetings and seminars will continue through Feb. 12.
This year’s focus country is Indonesia, selected for its rapidly growing publishing market, large readership and increasing engagement with Turkish and European publishers.
Special sessions throughout the program aim to provide Turkish publishers with in-depth insights into Indonesia’s publishing ecosystem, including reader trends, distribution channels and copyright regulations.
The fellowship also continues to expand beyond traditional publishing. The Media Match section, introduced last year, brings together publishers with producers, screenwriters and digital platform representatives, opening new pathways for books to be adapted into films, series, audiobooks and digital formats.
By combining copyright trade, cultural exchange and cross-media collaboration, the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship aims to strengthen Türkiye’s role not only as a publishing market, but as a strategic meeting point for global content industries.
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