Remzi Kitabevi, one of Türkiye’s oldest and best-known bookstore and publishing brands, will close its Suadiye store on Istanbul’s Asian side on August 19, bringing its presence in the Asian side of the city to an end for now.
The company announced the closure in a social media post, saying it hoped to meet customers again under more favorable conditions.
Rising Rents Drive Store Closures
The closure comes amid sharply rising commercial rents along Bağdat Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods, where monthly rents for retail spaces can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of Turkish lira.
Current rental listings illustrate the scale of the increase. In Suadiye, for example, monthly rents are being requested at around TL 690,000 for a 100-square-meter street-front store, while another 97-square-meter location is listed at TL 1.35 million per month. A 310-square-meter property is being offered for TL 725,000 per month.
Similar prices are seen in nearby Feneryolu, Caddebostan and Erenköy, with some properties also requiring deposits worth several months of rent.
A Nearly Century-Old Institution
Founded by Remzi Bengi in 1927, Remzi Kitabevi began operating with a bookstore in Istanbul’s Beyazıt district. Its first published book was Ömer Seyfettin’s Yüksek Ökçeler.
Over the decades, the company became closely associated with some of Türkiye’s most prominent literary figures, publishing works by authors including Nâzım Hikmet, Sabahattin Ali, Yaşar Kemal, Orhan Kemal and Halide Edip Adıvar. The company says it has published approximately 4,000 titles since its foundation.
Store Network Continues Elsewhere
Remzi Kitabevi expanded its physical presence significantly beginning in the 1990s, opening stores at locations including Akmerkez, Nişantaşı, Suadiye, Kanyon and Zorlu Center in Istanbul, as well as Armada in Ankara.
The closure of the Suadiye branch highlights the growing pressure that soaring commercial rents are placing on traditional retailers, even in high-traffic and prestigious shopping districts.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök