What is TEDA?

TEDA is a grant program intended to foster the publication of Turkish literature as well as works about Turkish art and culture in languages other than Turkish. Run by the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it is a subvention program for translation and publication, providing incentives to publishers abroad who wish to publish Turkish literature and works on Turkish art and culture in foreign languages.

The TEDA Program, which began in 2005, allows foreign readers to access Turkish literature, and as well as the opportunity to read about Türkiye’s vast cultural wealth, in their own respective languages. In this way the Program increases the visibility of books by Turkish authors in the global book market.

The TEDA Program, which is run by the Ministry of Culture, provides funding for applications approved by the TEDA Advisory and Evaluation Committee, with the aim of fostering greater circulation of Turkish literature worldwide.

Who Can Apply for Funding?

Only publishers located outside of Türkiye may apply.

Which Documents Must Be Submitted to Apply?

·        The original, wet-signed, wet-stamped application form. (The application form can be downloaded in English or Turkish at www.tedaproject.gov.tr. After it has been filled out, signed, and stamped, it must be sent to our postal address via either express mail or courier.)

·         Documentation provided by the applicant’s own country, proving that the applicant is an active publisher in the respective country.

·         Contract proving that the copyright owner has granted the publisher permission to publish the work in question.

·         Contract with the translator.

·         A copy of the Turkish edition of the work to be translated.

·         A physical or electronic copy of the publisher’s catalog.

·         Translator’s CV.

Please be aware:

·         In the case of documents that are in a language other than Turkish or English, a summary of their content, preferably in Turkish, otherwise in English, must be included along with them.

·         Because the application form must be an original, wet-signed and wet-stamped form, it should be sent via express mail or courier; however, documents such as proof of publishing activity, copyright agreement, and translator’s contract in copy form, may be sent as e-mail attachments or via fax.

·         Applications lacking any of the required documents and/or information will not be evaluated. Once the missing documents and/or information has been provided, the application will be considered by the Committee at the meeting for the subsequent application period.

·         In the case of applicants from publishing companies in those countries for which permission must be gotten from the relevant authorities before printing, or for whom publication of the work is possible only on condition of approval by a higher authority, these must include, along with all other mandatory documents, the document granting permission to translate and/or publish the work in question, or the relevant documents proving that permission has been granted by the relevant authorities.

·         Because applicants are required to submit the application form itself in the original, both wet-signed and wet-stamped, in the case of application forms sent via e-mail or fax, even if all other documents have been submitted in full, the application will not be considered complete, and therefore will not be evaluated by the Committee, until the original application form is received.

Evaluation Criteria

The TEDA Advisory and Evaluation Committee also takes into account the following criteria when evaluating applications:

·         The literary nature of the work

·         If the publisher has received a TEDA grant in the past, whether or not the publisher has successfully met its obligations regarding previously funded works.

·         Level of translator’s experience.

·         The publisher’s distribution and promotion strategy.

The TEDA Program gives precedence to applications for works of Turkish literature.

Applications for the following will not be considered by TEDA:

- Non-fiction books on topics such as medicine, natural sciences, applied sciences, social sciences (with the exception of works about Turkish history whose publication the Committee deems beneficial), ecology, and business.

- School books or lesson notes.

- Dictionaries.

- Magazines and other periodicals.

- Guide books, brochures, or pamphlets.

Once funding has been granted:

A bilingual (Turkish-English) Agreement is signed by the applicant (publisher) and the Ministry. Once the Agreement has been signed by the publisher and submitted to the Ministry, the grant amount approved by the Committee is transferred in full, in the currency requested (either in Euros or US Dollars, depending on which of these the applicant requested on the application form), to the bank account included on the application form.

Publishers who receive a grant are required:

·         to publish the funded work within two years.

·         to send 30 copies of the work free-of-charge upon publication to the Ministry.

·         to inform the Ministry of any changes in the information or documents submitted during the application process (change in translator, publication date, publisher contact information, etc.) within 15 days’ time.

·         to update the Ministry on progress regarding the translation and printing of the work at least once every 6 months.

Application deadlines:

Applications are accepted year-round. Applications submitted to the Ministry are evaluated by the TEDA Advisory and Evaluation Committee, which convenes at least twice a year.

I. (Spring) Deadline for applications: April 30th

II. (Autumn) Deadline for applications: October 25th

Any changes in the deadlines are announced on the TEDA Project website (www.tedaproject.gov.tr).