Prominent Turkish literary journalist arrested

The long-serving editor-in-chief of the weekly books supplement of Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet is among those arrested in the latest crackdown on freedom of expression in the country, according to reports.

Turhan Gunay was arrested last night (Monday 31st October), alongside several colleagues at the newspaper.

Speaking this morning, during the professional programme running ahead of the Sharjah International Book Fair, Turkish agent Nermin Mollaoglu, founder of the Kalem Agency, said she was “emotional and worried” at the latest wave of arrests.

“This worries me a lot. We are having difficult times,” she told The Bookseller.

She added: “This will pass and we will find right in the end. My reaction is to work harder to introduce my writers to the world so people open their minds and hearts to our region.”

Among authors represented by Mollaoglu is Can Dundar, former editor in chief of Cumhuriyet, who was detained by the authorities for three months earlier this year and now lives outside Turkey. Dundar’s book We Are Arrested, an account of his decision to report the discovery of a covert arms shipment to Syrian rebels, is published in the UK by Biteback.

Global publishing chiefs have expressed their concern about the recent closure of publishing houses in Turkey.