Turkish police confiscated several books titled with ‘Kurdistan’ at the İzmir Book Fair on Sunday, citing them as “prohibited and dangerous.” A member of staff was also detained, sparking allegations of censorship. ‘Kurdistan 1915-1920’, ‘Kurdistan Fedaisi Muşlu Hilmi Yıldırım’, and ‘Kurdistan Government’ were among the seized titles.
“Police harassed us all day and then took books mentioning Kurdistan. We do not accept this intolerance to the name Kurdistan. We condemn this action,” Berşev, coordinator for Pirtûka Kurdî, stated. The presidents of the regional bar association also condemned also the confiscation of the books as unlawful.
🔴 Turkish police detain staff and seize books at Izmir Book Fair; titles contain the word 'Kurdistan'.#BookFair | #Kurdistan | @zilan1930
🔗 https://t.co/xK1Ja2WGgn pic.twitter.com/ch9ODT34mz
— MedyaNews (@medyanews_) April 22, 2024
The incident underscored ongoing intolerance for Kurdish identity and historical narratives in Turkey. The books at the centre of this controversy explore significant but contentious periods in Kurdish history, further highlighted by researcher and author Sedat Ulugana.
Ulugana, who rediscovered banned writings by Kurdish freedom fighter Hilmi Yıldırım, noted, “The phrase ‘Kurdistan freedom fighter’ seemed to trigger the authorities. Yet, if books containing the term ‘Kurdistan’ are to be seized, many historical documents would be implicated, from ancient texts to modern parliamentary records.”
“The book, which was confiscated by the single-party regime in 1936, was confiscated once again yesterday. Does a country never change in 88 years?” Ulugana asked on X.
