Organized by Gulf Turk Fair Services, the Istanbul Arabic Book Fair will open its doors on July 18 at Istanbul Fair Center. Prior to the opening of the fair, organizer Mustafa al-Habbab held a press conference and claimed that the Istanbul Arabic Book Fair will be the biggest Arabic book fair in Turkey. "Our main target for holding this fair is to strengthen the interaction between Turkish and Arabic-speaking societies." He said that more than 200 publishing houses from 15 Arab countries will attend the fair, and added: "We are aware that Turkish people are highly interested in Arabic language literature, so this fair is a very important step. Apart from the book fair, the organization will host other events. We have invited 30 keynote speakers from various countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine and Syria." The fair will also feature various conferences and panel sessions with participation from important figures including George Sabra, Salman al-Awda, Ayman Nur, Cemal Kaşukcı, Nihad Awad, Emrullah İşler and Yasin Aktay. During the conferences, the speakers will talk about political issues such as the civil war in Syria, democratic efforts in Egypt and current political relations between Turkey and Arab countries, along with cultural developments around the globe. Apart from political and religious books, the fair will host the finest examples of Arabic literature and more than 30 publishing houses which specialize in Arabic literature. The Istanbul Arabic Book Fair will also introduce Turkey and Turkish art through stalls featuring calligraphy and marbling, and the fair will have a special section for children's books and activities.When: July 18Where: Istanbul Fair Center