Writers will sign books by imprisoned Selahattin Demirtas

In a demonstration of solidarity, writers will sign books by imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas during Istanbul Book Fair.

Demirtas's first book Seher, a collection of short stories he wrote in prison, was published in 2017 by Dipnot. It has been followed by Devran (2019), Leylan (2020), and Efsun (2021).

The writers who will sign books by Demirtas in a solidarity event on 4 December, starting at 2 PM, will include: Anil Mert Ozsoy, Aysegul Devecioglu, Behcet Celik, Figen Sakaci, Hatice Meryem, Murat Uyurkulak, Murathan Mungan, Nurhan Suerdem, Yavuz Ekinci, Yigit Bener

On 10 December, the event at 3 PM will be joined by Ahmet Telli, Basak Demirtas, Ismail Guzelsoy, Jaklin Celik, Mahir Unsal Eris, Menekse Toprak, Pinar Ögünc, Sezai Sarioglu, Sukru Erbas.

Demirtas, former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has been incarcerated in Turkey's Edirne prison over "terror" allegations since November 2016, and is denied release by the Turkish judiciary despite a 2020 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The ECHR said on 22 December 2020 that in detaining Demirtas and then prolonging his detention for over four years, the Turkish government pursued an ulterior purpose of preventing him from carrying out his political activities, depriving voters of their elected representative, and "stifling pluralism and limiting freedom of political debate: the very core concept of a democratic society."