The low rate of book reading in Türkiye has become a cultural crisis. The pressure of digital screens, economic difficulties and the unstable problems in the publishing sector increase the danger of a "generation without books" every day.
15 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION AGED 73 AND OVER DO NOT READ BOOKS
The new Secretary General of the Publishers Assistance Association (YAYDER), Vesile Kızılboğa, stated that there is a cultural crisis in Türkiye, paying attention to the storage of book reading rates. Kızılboğa said, “A generation without books is growing up. According to 2024, no books are read by those aged 15 and over. The MEB's 2023 data provides more information: While reading rates in primary school are 25 percent, they reach 8 percent in middle school and only 1,01 in high school. Only 7.2 books are read on average in Türkiye.”
NATIONAL READING CAMPAIGN
Kızılboğa had undertaken projects supporting independent publishers through Vesprime Media, which he founded. Now, he aims to transform this practice into sectoral solidarity under the roof of YAYDER.
Kızılboğa made concrete suggestions to increase access to books, especially institutional data:
“PTT’s discount on book shipments can be transformed into a national reading campaign. We can provide access to rural books with Mobile Book Boxes, QR coded content that enables digital interaction with authors, and the support of local governments. We are ready to use this project, which is still in the draft phase, with all its parts.”
YAYDER's new term goals include micro-funds for women publishers, digital promotion platforms for youth and children's literature, and reading campaigns to be carried out in cooperation with municipalities.
