Kurdish ‘Book Hunter’ in Istanbul has collected 60k books

Istanbul (K24) – Ismet Bozdemir is an elderly Kurdish bibliophile from Mardin who lives in Istanbul. He has only completed secondary school, during which he worked as a livestock farmer on his family’s plantation.

Bozdemir has collected more than 60,000 books so far and has claimed to have read more than half of them. Correspondingly, he has earned the moniker 'The Book Hunter' in Istanbul.

“So far I have read more than 40,000 books,” he said.

Bozdemir was once partially blinded due to the strain of excessive reading, but ocular surgery has restored his vision. 

“I used to read three or four books a day when I was young, but after my eye surgery, I am able to read about 400 pages a day,” the bookworm stated and then noted, “People should not be afraid of books but of the lack of books.”

Bozdemir revealed that sometimes academics and university teachers ask about his degree. However, when he says he has no university degree and just completed high school, they are shocked.

“My father became very upset because of my excessive reading, and so to make sure I wouldn't read too much, he burned 10,000 of my books,” Bozdemir added.

So far, Bozdemir has sent 30,000 books to village schools and prisons.

He also said that academics and students from 50 countries have visited him to ask for guidance on reading and how to synthesize the information contained in books.

On his will and testament, Bozdemir requested that his books will not be sold, but rather kept and protected, without elaborating on who would inherit them.