Farewell to İZKİTAP with Soykan and Ağırel
The 5th İzmir Book Fair – İZKİTAP, hosted by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, concluded with a talk titled “Where is Turkey Headed?” by journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Ağırel. Despite the rainy weather, İzmir residents showed great interest in the event, which was also attended by İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay. During the talk, Soykan and Ağırel addressed a wide range of topics, from the current political landscape in Turkey to the judicial processes faced by journalists.
Organized in Kültürpark in collaboration with İZFAŞ and TACT Fuarcılık under the auspices of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the 5th İzmir Book Fair – İZKİTAP ended on a high note. Over ten days, the fair brought together hundreds of prominent authors from Turkish literature with tens of thousands of İzmir locals. On the final day, veteran journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Ağırel met with readers in a talk titled “Where is Turkey Headed?”. Hosted by Kırmızı Kedi Publishing at the Kültürpark Open-Air Stage, the event was attended by İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, İZFAŞ General Manager Tuğçe Cumalıoğlu, representatives of civil society organizations, and a large crowd of İzmir residents.
Soykan: This nation has a legacy
Journalist Timur Soykan began his speech by thanking the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality for bringing them together with the enlightened people of İzmir. He summarized the current political situation in Turkey, stating, “This nation has a legacy. These are the children of a country founded through an anti-imperialist struggle. Our ancestors are Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms. They fought against imperialism and made this land our homeland. None of them ever said they gave up, got offended, or felt defeated.”
Ağırel: We are journalists who feel Atatürk’s reforms down to our core
Following Soykan, Murat Ağırel took the stage and said, “We are journalists who believe in this country's independence, who have pledged to the blue-eyed giant, and who feel Atatürk’s reforms in every fiber of our being. They've filed dozens of lawsuits over the books I’ve written, but they haven’t won a single one. Just as a country loses its independence when its borders lose legitimacy, you experience the same sense of loss when justice is gone. And when youth lose hope and dreams, you feel that same emotion again.”
Audience stood strong despite the rain
During Ağırel’s speech, heavy rain began at the Kültürpark Open-Air Stage. Despite the downpour, the audience insisted that Soykan and Ağırel remain on stage. In response, both invited the crowd onto the stage to shelter from the rain. Ağırel continued his speech standing on a chair, engaging directly with the audience.
After the talk, Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay congratulated Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan and presented them with flowers. The event concluded with a book signing session by Ağırel and Soykan for their readers.