Attack on Writer İhsan Eliaçık in Kayseri Book Fair

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The founder of the Anti-capitalist Muslims, theologist, writer İhsan Eliaçık was attacked by an aggressor group on Saturday (October 21), in the Kayseri 1st Book Fair. The group insulted and booed Eliaçık.

A group of approximately 20 people gathered together and started shouting while Eliaçık was about to enter the book fair at the World Trade Center in Kocasinan, Kayseri.

The aggressors in the group shouted at Eliaçık calling him "godless, faithless". Riot police surrounding Çelikkan told "take this man away from here" and Çelikkan was taken out of the fair area to prevent any physical harm.

Tekin Publishing House, at whose stand Eliaçık would have an autograph session shared the images of the attack. 

Eliaçık: I don't want any tension

Writer Eliaçık told the journalists following the attack:

"It is not like I will leave this place because of an attack of a few people. These are instructed groups. They threatened me. They told me, that they would not allow me to give any speech or hold an autograph session and said that if I wanted to participate, I had to do it with my own means. And I did. But now, they won't let me in.

"Look, there are people here who are at my back and call. I made them chant slogans, there would get up against each other. There would be a great fuss. The police asked and I left. I don't want any tension".

Claims of threats by Kayseri Municipality

Eliaçık had announced earlier on Twitter that he would have a stand on the book fair. 

Afterwards, he had accused the Mayor of Kayseri of "not allowing him in the fair" and wrote on Twitter:

"Kayseri Mayor threatens me by denying entry to the fair and throwing me out by police force. Come and do what you say, you would get away without resigning".

Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Kayseri Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Çelik has also banned an interview and the autograph session of İbrahim Kaboğlu, the president of the Constitutional Law Research Association, for his book entitled "the Constitution of July 15" [coup attempt], that was published by Tekin Publishing House.

Eliaçık was supposed to have autograph session at the stand of the same publishing house at the book fair.

Statement from Tekin Publishing House

İhsan Eliaçık's publisher Tekin Publishing House denounced the incident.

The publishing house urged to protest the book fair and issued a statement saying "We are gathering, this is our call on all publishers".
Ayrıntı Publications also condemned the attack, announced that they would comply with Tekin Publishing House's call and leave the book fair and said:

"We refuse attacks on books, thoughts and expressions, and hope that sensitive publisher will also not remain silent on this issue".

Call from Turkish Publishers Association

Turkish Publishers Association President Kenan Kocatürk also made a statement on the social media and denounced the attack on Eliaçık. The association urged to protest and called on the publishers to leave the book fair in order to prevent that similar incidents happen in the future. 

Publishers such as Ayrıntı, İletişim, Metis, Günışığı, On8, Doğu publications have closed their stands and left the book fair. (AS/DG)