Regardless of their scope of operation, bookstore owners as well as publishers are experiencing financial challenges across Turkey.
Lately, Robinson Crusoe Bookstore, a 19 year old establishment in the heart of Istiklal Avenue, declared that they were having really tight finances due to high costs and rent hikes. Around those days, Librairie de Péra, a 93 year old bookstore and auction house in Galata district has silently closed its shutters.
The challenges that bookstores in Turkey are going though are hardly unique to Turkish context: A recently passed bill in France aims to protect independent bookstores against the dominance of Amazon. The bill brought limitations to Amazon’s delivery policy, blocking the internet giant’s free delivery options as well as free delivery for the purchased item.
bianet interview Publishers’ Union Chairperson Metin Celal regarding the challenges of bookstore owners and the France example.
Celal reiterated the fact that no protection measures for bookstores have been taken by officials, urging them to take such action immediately.
He also added that massive supermarket or internet sale campaign also affected the business negatively.
“In European countries like France, there are ‘fixed price’ laws to protect publishers as well as small businesses. In 2009, National Congress of Publishing Union took a similar recommendation to officials, however, we haven’t observed any progress.”
“10,000 bookstores closed”
Celal continued that “few good-intentioned steps” affected the bookstores negatively.
“Even though free textbook policy has been implemented within social state mentality, officials disregarded its negative impacts on bookstore owners,” he said.
“10,000 bookstores have been closed. Most of these stores were established nearby schools and they were making a living by selling stationary and books to students. If those books were distributed to students through these bookstores, students would explore other buying alternatives. Maybe the stores would not be closed that way.” (ET/HK)
* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.
