More than 200 publishers and publishing houses from 68 countries are set to gather in Istanbul this week for the International Summit on Islamic Publishing and the first General Assembly of the International Union of Islamic Book Publishers (IUIBP).
The three-day summit will be held from Sept. 25 to 27 at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, with support from the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
The event will bring together publishing houses, universities, nongovernmental organizations, distributors, bookstores, copyright agencies, authors’ associations and professional publishing organizations from across the world.
The IUIBP was officially established in January 2026 following five years of preparations and consultations. Its foundations were laid in Istanbul in 2021 with participation from publishers from 30 countries.
The union has since grown to more than 200 members from 68 countries, with its founding board representing publishing markets and cultural backgrounds including Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Türkiye, Jordan, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Germany and the U.K.
The summit aims to strengthen international cooperation in Islamic publishing, particularly in copyright and translation, joint publishing projects, international distribution and professional exchanges.
Following the opening program on Sept. 25, an international panel will examine the role of Islamic publishing in a changing world. The program will then feature 12 thematic roundtables addressing issues including international book fairs, copyright and translation, publishing standards, children's publishing, distribution, digital publishing, data and technology, advertising and promotion and ethics and legal matters.
Participants will develop recommendations for international cooperation during the roundtable sessions, and reports will be presented on the second day.
The union's first General Assembly will take place on Sept. 26, where members will discuss its future activities and hold elections for the board of directors.
The summit will also conclude with the announcement of an “Istanbul Declaration,” outlining common goals, priorities and areas of cooperation for the development of international Islamic publishing.
Organizers said the summit is intended to establish long-term cooperation between publishers and other industry professionals through copyright and translation partnerships, joint publishing projects and international distribution networks.
