Turkish Publishers and Distributors Association (Turkish Publishers Association) was founded in 1985 in Istanbul. It represents publishers and distributors of publication operating in the publishing sector in Turkey.  It has 391 members.

Its missions is to;

• Improve the profession of publishing and to ensure better quality publications
• Produce solutions to occupational problems and for this purpose, collaborate with related ministries and all official / civil organizations
• Enlighten the public and its members, to protect and support the rights of its members and publishers
• Fight against book piracy through its sister organization YAYBIR (Publishers Copyright and Licensing Professional Association)
• Work on removing obstacles to freedom of expression and publication of thoughts and expressions through words, texts, pictures and other means
• Support the development and dissemination of culture, literature and art
• Make an effort to turn our country into a major international publishing center
• Promote reading books and to encourage social and scientific research

Our Association a is member of the International Publishers Association (IPA) that represents Turkey in the International arena,  a member of EDItEUR which coordinates the development of infrastructure standards of books, e-books and periodical publication and EURead which works on promoting reading culture in Europe.

Management Structure
The administrative structure of the Association consists of the General Assembly (meets once in a two years), the Board of Directors, the Supervisory Board and the Commissions.

Works

RELATIONS WITH OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONS
By conveying its suggestions for the development of the publishing industry as well as finding solutions for the sectorial issues, Turkish Publishers Association continues developing its relations with the publishing-related government agencies and organization, and keeps involved in the process of changes in law by sharing its opinions and concrete proposals.

The Association is represented by the Co-Chair in the Monitoring Committee, which was founded with the aim of following up the decisions made at the congress and the organizations of 5th National Publication Congress  held on 4-5 December 2009 with the participation of all relevant institutions and individuals from the state and sector.

PUBLISHING CONGRESSES Turkish Publishers Association is also organizing various national and international publishing-related activities.

Since 2004, every other year, our association is organizing Turkish Publishing Congress along with Istanbul Bilgi University, in order to get publishers from different expertise areas together to discuss problem of publishing world in details to produce solutions using common sense.

PUBLISHING TRAINING PROGRAMS
Introduction to Publishing, Editorial in Publishing and Sales and Marketing in Publishing programs, which are initiated by our Association in collaboration with İstanbul Bilgi University Bilgi Eğitim, are periodically continuing. Along with the director and teacher of these programs Associate Professor Dr. Sevengül Sönmez,

officials from publishers and copyright agencies as well as translators are contributing to the trainings by transferring their knowledge and experience. Among the trainers are; employees of publishers, students and translators, as well as participants from different age groups who are interested in the publishing sector. 30% discount is provided to the applicants of member publishers who register for these programs.

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION AWARD AND FREEDOM OF PUBLICATION REPORT The Association is making an effort for removing the obstacles to freedom of publishing, which is an important part of freedom of thought and expression, therefore, every year since 1995 organizing a ceremony to give awards of “Freedom of Thoughts and Expression” for those who have not hesitated to express and publish their ideas freely and who have paved the way for free publishing. Along with the award, it also publishes a Freedom of Publishing Report, which compiles news and data on “freedom to publish”.  This report is translated into English and sent to all relevant institutions, particularly EU.

Memberships

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION – IPA:

Our Association is the only member of International Publishers Association representing Turkey.

Being assigned as a member of the IPA Publishing Freedom Committee during the 2016-2018 period, it actively takes part in the in Freedom of Publishing, Copyright and Anti-Piracy, Literacy and Book Policies, and Education Publishing committees. Our Association participates in international events representing Turkish publishers and conveys the specific issues and needs related Turkey, in order to search for solutions in solidarity with other national and international publishing organizations.

EDItEUR:

Being a member of the international organization that coordinates the development of e-commerce infrastructure standards in books, e-books and periodicals, Turkish Publishers Association is working on expanding the use of standards developed by EDItEUR, in relation with bibliographic information and product information, rights management and trade, infrastructure standards for digital printing, electronic data exchange and other e-trade standards that are very much required by our country’s publishing sector. Apart from disseminating the use of standards, it also conducts studies to ensure the exchange of information and cooperation between publishing sector stakeholders by communicating with other institutions working on standards.

Projects
Our Association also contributes to the free development of publishing by developing sectoral and rights-based projects:

On the Way to Freedom to Publish Project Co-funded under the “Civil Society Dialogue Between EU and Turkey Program”, in partnership with the Swedish Publishers Association and The International Publishers Association, the project was conducted during October 2014 October 2015, with the support IPSbianet and Tüyap.

The aim of the project was to start advocacy process between policy makers and the publishing industry, to increase awareness by informing the publishing stakeholders and the public about the existing situation and related EU policies, and to develop partnership between EU members and the concerned NGOs in Turkey.

Consultation and study visits in Ankara, Brussels and Stockholm, workshops in Ankara, local meetings in 9 provinces and panels in 5 book fairs were organized.

The thematic report under the title of “Freedom of Publishing in Turkey in the Process of joining EU”, which was described at the closing conference was later announced to national and international organizations. 

Professions in Publishing Project

Starting from February 2016, completed in May 2017, the project took 15-month and realized under the Civil Society Dialogue Program, with the partnership of United Kingdom Publishers Association, The European Publishers Federation, German vocational training provider Mediacampus, and with the support of Frankfurt and the Norwegian Publishers Associations. Aiming to define the professions in the field of publishing in Turkey and to classify them in accordance with professional standards and competence of EU standards,  study and consultation visits were organized to Ankara, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and also activities such as wide participation workshops have been arranged. In the end of the project, a booklet containing comparative analysis of occupations in Turkish publishing industry, standards and qualifications, and the relevant legislation with practice in EU member states was published both in Turkish and English.

A digital dictionary named “Dictionary of Publishing Professions” is kept open to all interested parties on the project site.

http://meslegimizyayincilik.com/?lang=en

OKUYAY Platform

OKUYAY Platform, whichwas founded within the Grant Scheme for Partnerships and Networks of Civil Society Sector, aims to spread the best practices of Europe and Turkey to the general of Turkey, by supporting the CSO’s, activists and volunteers who work to promote reading culture.

Purpose of the Project:

• After identifying CSO’s, activists and volunteers working on the dissemination of reading culture and access to the books, supporting them to strengthen the changes they created in their region
• Enhancing the good examples and spreading them across Turkey
• Improving the governance and institutional capacities of identified CSOs and also active citizens (such as village teachers, second-hand book-collecting volunteers etc.)
• Strengthening the cooperation between CSOs working on these issues and supporting them to take an active role in decision-making process as well as in creation of reading culture policies at the government and public institutions.

With partnership of the Turkish Librarians’ Association (TKD), Mother Child Education Foundation (ACEV), Kadıkoy Municipality, Kingston University from UK, and wih the participation of Stiftung Lesen from Germany, OKUYAY platform will make domestic and international meetings in order to promote reading culture and will create stands at 15 book fairs in Turkey to introduce the project, and organize panels to discuss the reading culture conceptually.

The target audience of the project are CSOs and organized active citizens working on the dissemination of reading culture and access to books, as well as relevant public institutions, Ministries and general directorates. The final beneficiaries are 0-6 and 6-18 age groups (K12), adults, parents, teachers, broadcasting sector, public and private libraries and professional associations.

All activities carried out throughout the project and social networks to be established will be announced in the web page of the platform and through the guides to be prepared for all CSOs. ‘The Guide for Developing Reading Culture’ which will be preparedat theend of the project will be an important source of reference in this field.

OKUYAY Platform aims to bring together those who supports development of reading culture, by meetings and activities in Istanbul Taksim Office. The ‘Reading Culture Library’ that will be established within the Platform will also be available to researchers.

http://okuyayplatformu.com/