The 11th edition of the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship opened Tuesday in Istanbul, bringing together 335 publishers from 73 countries for three days of structured copyright negotiations and professional meetings aimed at expanding international content trade.

Held on Feb. 10-12 at the Taş Yapı Event and Congress Center, the program operates as a curated copyright marketplace rather than a traditional book fair. Organized by the Turkish Press and Publishers Copyright and Licensing Society (TBYM), the fellowship is built around pre-arranged, one-on-one meetings between selected publishers, editors and rights agents.

According to information shared by organizers, the fellowship has facilitated more than 35,000 bilateral business meetings and over 25,000 preliminary copyright agreements since its launch in 2016. This year’s edition received nearly 1,000 applications from 104 countries before 225 foreign and 110 Turkish publishers were selected.

Focus country: Indonesia

Indonesia has been designated as the focus country for this year’s edition, with 10 Indonesian publishing houses participating in the program.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sabah, Indonesia’s Consul General in Istanbul, Darianto Harsono, described the fellowship as a "very prestigious program” and expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s selection as focus country.

"We are very grateful,” Harsono said, thanking the organizing committee for choosing Indonesia. He said the designation reflects the growing scope of cooperation between the two countries.

Harsono noted that Indonesia and Türkiye have established a strategic partnership framework endorsed by their respective leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. He described the fellowship as a concrete step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation beyond diplomacy and trade.

"This event is a concrete step to strengthen cooperation not only in the publishing sector but also in the social and cultural sectors,” he said.

Bridges across centuries

Harsono said cultural platforms such as the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship serve as bridges for mutual understanding between societies.

"I think this event can be considered as a bridge to increase understanding between our two countries,” he said, adding that publishing exchanges help foster deeper connections between readers, writers and intellectual communities.

He pointed to the historical depth of relations between Indonesia and Türkiye, tracing contacts back several centuries to interactions between the Ottoman Empire and the kingdoms of Nusantara in the 15th and 16th centuries.

"We already have a strong basis to increase relations between our two countries,” Harsono said.

Indonesia, he added, is home to more than 300 local languages and a vast repository of traditional stories and oral narratives. He said this cultural diversity provides significant potential for expanded literary exchange.

"Indonesia has thousands of traditional stories,” he said. "Türkiye also has a long historical background and strong narrative traditions. These are elements that can be further developed into concrete cooperation.”

Diplomacy through translation

Harsono emphasized the importance of translation as a practical mechanism for strengthening ties between the two publishing markets.

"I think a lot of books from Türkiye can be translated into Indonesian,” he said. "Likewise, many Indonesian books can be translated into Turkish in order to increase understanding among our people.”

The focus country concept, introduced by the fellowship in 2021, highlights one national publishing ecosystem each year through panels, sectoral discussions and professional networking sessions. Previous focus countries have included Hungary, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Mexico and China.

Organizers say the model aims to create targeted engagement with selected markets, facilitating sustained professional relationships and measurable rights agreements.

Expanding global copyright networks

Beyond its focus country programming, the fellowship includes bilateral copyright negotiations across multiple genres, including children’s literature, academic publishing, fiction, nonfiction and religious texts.

The event also features the Istanbul Copyright Awards and a Media Match section designed to connect publishers with representatives from digital platforms, production companies and content developers, reflecting broader shifts in the global content industry.

Türkiye’s publishing sector has increasingly positioned itself as an exporter of cultural content, particularly in children’s literature and historical works. Organizers estimate that the Turkish book market reached approximately $2.5 billion in 2025, although final figures have yet to be confirmed.

By convening publishers ahead of major international book fairs later in the year, the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship seeks to function as an early-stage negotiation platform, allowing rights agreements to be initiated before larger exhibition-based events.

For Indonesia, Harsono said participation in the fellowship represents both symbolic recognition and practical opportunity.

"This is not only about business,” he said. "It is about building understanding between our two nations.”

The three-day program continues through Wednesday with scheduled bilateral meetings, sector panels and networking events aimed at expanding cross-border publishing partnerships.