A centuries-old tradition: 'The challenges faced by Turkey's second-hand booksellers'

Aslı AĞIRDİL - 12punto.com.tr

The centuries-old tradition of second-hand bookselling is now at a point of agony. Known in the Ottoman era as people who sold pages, the 'sahaf' was once known as a place for the scent of books and special, rare volumes that are hard to find even on the market. However, advancing technology and rising costs have brought the last representatives of this tradition to the point of giving up. Recai Altuntaş and Gökhan İlhan, who have been in the business for years, shared their experiences with 12punto.

THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE CITY I LIVE IN

Recai Altuntaş, a second-hand bookseller in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, emphasized that the profession helps him understand the cultural history of the city he lives in.

Stating that Istanbul is a deeply rooted city that harbors a profound cultural heritage, Altuntaş said:

"Every experience has a different answer. Because I do this work specifically in Turkey and Istanbul, firstly, it has helped me better understand the cultural history of the city I live in. Because I can simply define us, the sahafs, as people who buy and sell second-hand books. We visit many homes and families. The reason for our visit is to buy old documents from the libraries and bookshelves in these homes. We see this there; Istanbul is a very deep-rooted city, it has a very deep-rooted cultural heritage. I established this bond with families and objects through my work. Therefore, it has led to cultural development in both senses. Secondly, taking this and transferring it as an intermediary, a bookseller, to new enthusiasts, meeting these people, and learning there. For me, that is briefly what being a sahaf is."

'CITIZENS THINK ABOUT THEIR RENT FIRST'

Pointing out that people in Turkey are in a completely different state of mental production during the day instead of reading books, Altuntaş explained the reasons why second-hand bookstores are on the verge of closing as follows:

"Nothing is independent of ideology and politics. First of all, Turkey does not read. A study was published again just 1 month ago. 1 minute per month is one of the last 10-20 items in the hierarchy of needs. Other than that, in the post-Republic phases that Turkey has gone through, society is increasingly facing reactionism. Ignorance is imposed on society through this power, governments, and structures. You are trying to sell books here, you are enabling people to read books, and at the same time, you are doing business. Ultimately, you want a novel, a history book, or an art book you put on the counter to reach its interested reader, but in Turkey, people are thinking about completely different things. They are dealing with completely different problems. I think that for nine out of ten people we see on the street, no thoughts about art, anthropology, history, or literature cross their minds in a single day. Nothing is questioned. They are thinking about paying their rent, their worship, getting home, going to work, their problems with their boss, or mobbing. People are in a completely different state of mental production during the day.

Secondly, our age is now the digital age. 8-10 years ago, I would see newspapers and books in people's hands. If 50 people were sitting somewhere, 3-5 of them had these, but now there are none. Everyone has these highly advanced phones in their hands. That is why, because what they sell is ultimately books, I think second-hand booksellers in Anatolia and Istanbul have to close. Thirdly, I think we can count this; there is a segment, a mass in Turkey that is interested in books, even if it is very small, but their money is also limited. I mean, they show interest. For example, I see our student friends coming here. They ask for the price of the book. 300 TL. It seems expensive. Therefore, since the economic crisis has weakened people's purchasing power, I think the rate of reading books has dropped even more. At least I can see it for myself in second-hand bookstores. That is why second-hand bookstores are forced to close. This is actually a natural flow."

SECOND-HAND BOOK FESTIVALS HAVE BEEN ENDED

Emphasizing that second-hand book festivals have been completely ended, Altuntaş pointed out that, on the other hand, second-hand booksellers are experiencing serious financial difficulties, and are either leaving the profession entirely or moving to the outskirts of the city. Altuntaş said:

"Second-hand book festivals were completely ended, especially after the pandemic. If they are held, let's be open, they showed 3 second-hand booksellers in a venue for show. Classic Turkey. To make it look like it was done, but I haven't attended a substantial second-hand book festival. I don't know the reason, but I think this has a negative impact both for us who practice the profession and for the readers. First of all, prices were more reasonable there. Secondly, what makes a city a city, I think, is this; certain collective organizations, urban culture means living together, sometimes it means producing and consuming together. Festivals are a tool for this. People would establish dialogue, communicate, and be together. And the reason for being together was books. This is no longer there. On the other hand, second-hand booksellers are experiencing serious financial difficulties. You see, second-hand bookstores are closing everywhere. They are either leaving the profession entirely or moving from the city centers to the outskirts of the city. They find themselves a warehouse in a very remote, secluded corner. They move their books there. They go to streets you wouldn't find even if you searched with Yandex."

THERE ARE 10 HOOKAH CAFES AND 20 PHONE SHOPS

"There is no support that I know of. I think the state should definitely support cultural things that belong to these lands. Two large shops closed in Beyoğlu recently. One of them was a large second-hand bookstore. I think some support is essential. What happens if they don't? A hookah cafe opens in place of those shops, a silversmith opens. There may be nothing visible, but not everything in life is visible, and you realize this later.

It's a very negative example, but like cancer, for instance. You don't understand cancer, but you rot. Turkey is a bit like that. You rot. There are 10 hookah cafes on Istiklal Street. There are 20 shops selling phones. All primitive needs are located on Istiklal Street. They sell chicken wraps. You can have them sell chicken wraps on a back street. It's not such a big deal. 20 shops have been opened for the world's simplest and unhealthiest food. If you claim to be a serious country, you have to build a cultural structure accordingly."

'I AM CLOSING TOO'

Seeing second-hand bookselling as a complete waste of time now, Altuntaş stated that he would leave the profession and continue online sales from his warehouse.

Altuntaş conveyed the following:

"My plan is this; I have two places, one here and one in Maltepe. The one in Maltepe is a bit like a warehouse. It's not a central place like a bazaar. We do online sales there. I am thinking of withdrawing there completely. There is no point for me to stand here for 8-10 hours. People are not showing interest. I see it as a complete waste of time. I sit here empty-handed all the time, but if I go to my warehouse, quickly archive my books into the system, do my shipping, etc., it amounts to the same thing economically. I have been standing here for years, but I am standing here culturally. You are in Beyoğlu, you have a bond with the reader. This business also has a historical, romantic side. You know, let's keep that alive, but that is no longer there either. It doesn't have much meaning anymore. What I want to do is a bit more warehouse and digital sales. It would be more correct to grow that a bit more.

Gökhan İlhan, who is a second-hand bookseller in Kartal, also drew attention to the fact that municipality-supported second-hand book festivals are not being held. Arguing that festivals should be made traditional again, İlhan states that such organizations increase cultural diversity and bring book lovers together with important works."

SECOND-HAND BOOKSELLING; A LETTER SENT TO THE FUTURE

Expressing that second-hand bookselling is an emotional business, İlhan said:

"I can call second-hand bookselling a letter sent to the future. The main reason I think this way is that every book has a lived experience. For example, when a book printed in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, or England between 1939 and 1945 comes into your hands about 80 years later, you can have a reaction like: 'It survived a war where millions of people lost their lives and now it's in my hands,' and you can dream with such words. Or, small notes we call ephemera or full-page letters can come out from between the pages of the book. It takes you and can take you to a completely different world. Second-hand bookselling is, in a way, a job for emotional people. You can even establish a bond with books and ephemera."

PAPER PRICES CANNOT BE STOPPED

"The prices of new books are quite expensive. Paper prices continue to increase every day. The effect of this situation on book prices is huge. There is no VAT on book sales. But there is printing VAT on the book that goes to press. This is also a factor in book prices. Books that are out of print can naturally be expensive. For example, a book lover who does not want to pay 100 TL for a book that has a new printing year and is constantly being printed can buy it from a second-hand bookseller for 30 TL or 40 TL."

SECOND-HAND BOOK FESTIVALS SHOULD BECOME A TRADITION

"Especially in Istanbul, very beautiful and important second-hand book festivals used to be organized. Haydarpaşa Station, Kadıköy Ali Suavi Street, Bakırköy Second-Hand Book Days, Beyoğlu Second-Hand Book Festival, and many more were organized. Most were municipality-supported. Unfortunately, none of them are held anymore. I don't know the reason why they are not held, but municipalities should organize second-hand book festivals and make them a tradition. Let the book lover come to the second-hand book festival, see Aziz Nesin's signed book. Let them touch the yellowed pages of the first edition of Sabahattin Ali's novel 'Madonna in a Fur Coat'. Let them question 'Why did he rebel?' about Yaşar Kemal, who wrote the 4-volume 'Memed, My Hawk'."

"For example, Üsküdar Municipality opened a Second-Hand Booksellers Bazaar. I think this project is a very important example for other municipalities... I hope it multiplies."