The people of Denizli flocked to the Book Fair organized by Denizli Metropolitan Municipality.

Citizens flocked to the 7th Denizli Book Fair organized by the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality. Book lovers wanting to get signatures formed long queues at the fair, which featured famous Turkish authors.

Denizli residents rushed to the Denizli Book Fair, which was organized for the 7th time by the Metropolitan Municipality this weekend. Turkey’s most famous authors, from honor guest Ahmet Ümit to Ayşe Kulin, Ataol Behramoğlu to Celal Şengör, met with citizens through signing events and discussions. The Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Congress and Culture Center (EGS) Exhibition Area hosted many authors, including honor guest Ahmet Ümit, İpek Ongun, Defne Ongun Müminoğlu, Banu Tozluyurt, Enver Aysever, Ercan Kesal, Sema Soykan, Emin Çapa, Yusuf Halaçoğlu, İhsan Eliaçık, Dr. Timur B. Davletov, Ataol Behramoğlu, Banu Avar, Celal Şengör, Selim Erdoğan, Timur Soykan, İpek Özbey, Merdan Yanardağ, Professor Dr. Güney Çeğin, and many more. Citizens from Denizli and surrounding provinces flocked to the fair, meeting authors and participating in signing events and discussions. Book lovers formed long queues to take photos with their favorite authors and get signatures.

“Republic City Denizli”
Denizli Metropolitan Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu also did not leave citizens and authors alone at the fair. Mayor Çavuşoğlu toured the fair with the citizens, taking plenty of souvenir photos and meeting with authors. Stating that the fair went very well and was busy, Mayor Çavuşoğlu invited all his fellow citizens to the fair, which will continue until October 27. He expressed great happiness in seeing future generations getting acquainted with books and invited all Denizli residents to the 9-day Republic Day celebrations with the motto “Republic City Denizli.”

Authors give high marks to the fair
Honor guest Ahmet Ümit noted that there was a very large interest in the fair and mentioned that they held a discussion about the novel “Chief Inspector Nevzat” in a large hall. He shared that a wonderful crowd of readers was waiting for him at the signing stand, saying, “Denizli has always been a reading city. I always come, but this time we came to Denizli even happier. Our readers have not left us alone again. I encountered the largest crowd I have ever seen.”

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, who attended the signing day for his book “Beşli Çete,” emphasized the importance of instilling reading habits, stating, “Introducing our children and young people to literature can only happen through such organizations. This country will be saved by reason, science, books, poetry, and art. Women and children are being killed in our country. We can only prevent these murders by instilling love, science, and reason in our children. That’s why I’m here. I thank our Mayor very much.”

“Denizli is a bright place”
Author Celal Şengör expressed his surprise upon seeing the large crowd, saying, “It turns out that there is great interest in books in Denizli. This really pleased me. Denizli is a bright place.” He mentioned that Denizli ignited the first fire of the National Struggle under the leadership of Müftü Ahmet Hulusi Efendi, adding, “These are the grandchildren of Ahmet Hulusi Efendi and his friends. This truly made me very happy.” Emphasizing the importance of book fairs in showcasing book diversity, Şengör stated, “A person who comes here with an interest in a specific topic sees many other topics. Therefore, this is really very important, and I am very pleased. Seeing this enormous crowd in such a small place as Denizli gives hope.”

“If readers and writers meet, we become literate”
Author Mustafa Balbay described his relationship with books in Denizli as a beautiful reunion, saying, “If readers and writers meet, we become literate. If readers and writers do not meet, literacy remains incomplete.” He congratulated the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality for continuing the fair and expressed his happiness for being there.

Author Ayşe Kulin stated that she encountered a very beautiful fair, expressing her love for Denizli. She mentioned that she had come to the city many years ago during the tenure of Governor Recep Yazıcıoğlu, saying, “Denizli is a city I love very much. Being here is wonderful; it gives me great happiness.”

Author Ercan Kesal pointed out that he encountered a unique crowd and remarked, “Denizlites have been eagerly waiting for the fair. It’s great to be here.”

“It should be an example for all municipalities”
Master poet Ataol Behramoğlu noted that he did not expect such a large crowd and enthusiasm, expressing his delight. He explained that bookselling has been weakening for various reasons, stating, “There are no large bookstores left outside of big cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. These book fairs fill that void. This place is really like a festival, a celebration of books. The services of our democratic and contemporary municipalities in this regard are very important. I think it should be an example for all municipalities.”

Timur Soykan emphasized that there is a surprising energy in Denizli, stating that he rarely encounters such intense interest at book fairs in larger cities. He indicated that Denizli is a very sensitive city regarding books and said, “Denizli has a beautiful tradition in this regard. As it is now managed by a more enlightened mindset, we know that Denizli will become more enlightened and more beautiful.”

“As long as there are books, societies will live”
Author İhsan Eliaçık, who had previously attended a fair in Denizli, noted that the organization was much more crowded this time. He pointed out that it was a good organization, stating, “For us writers and thinkers, book fairs are like breathing in the woods. I was very pleased. I thank the Mayor and everyone who contributed.”

Timur Davletov expressed that this was his second visit to Denizli, saying, “This time, I was more affected. It is very encouraging that today this place is bustling. It’s very crowded. That’s already a hopeful thing. If a society has great interest in books, it means they have hopes for the future. I believe that as long as there are books, societies will live. I thank everyone who contributed.”