Istanbul book fair kicks off

By Musa Alcan

ISTANBUL (AA) - An international book fair kicked off in Istanbul on Saturday with the participation of Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmus and city Governor Vasip Sahin.

The CNR Book Fair, which is being held for the fifth time this year, is hosting more than 1,200 cultural events and famous writers till March 18, in Yesilkoy district on the European side of the city.

Anadolu Agency is the global communications partner of the event, which is expected to bring together 350 publishing houses from Turkey and 19 other countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, CNR Holding General Coordinator Cem Senel said the main theme of this year's fair is "Read".

"We think that reading and contributing to reading is the most important issue for developed societies," Senel said.

The event is expected to attract around 450,000 book lovers.