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Turkey minister urges the writer 'Orhan
Pamuk' to apologize
7.1.2005
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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Seeking to end an
unpopular case, the justice minister urged Turkey's
best-known novelist Friday to apologize for remarks
that led to charges of insulting the country.
Orhan Pamuk went on trial Dec. 16 for saying
''30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed
in these lands,'' but the proceeding was immediately
stopped to await a ruling by the Justice Ministry on
whether to proceed.
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who has the final say
on halting the trial, said Friday he would rule
before the next court date of Feb. 7 on whether to
go ahead with the proceeding, which has divided the
nation and brought Turkey international censure.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive
time in the overwhelmingly Muslim country's push to
join the European Union, which severely criticized
the trial, questioning the commitment to freedom of
expression in a country that opened membership
negotiations with the bloc in October.
In urging Pamuk to apologize, the minister appeared
to be looking for a way to end the case. Dozens of
other people are facing similar charges. |
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk
Photo: AFP |
''I wish he would'' apologize, Cicek said on private
NTV television, adding that he would like the writer
to say: ''I am sorry.''
However, the decision to drop the case is likely to
anger the government's conservative and nationalist
grass roots, who were angered by Pamuk's remarks.
Pamuk was charged under a law that makes insulting
Turkey a crime after a Swiss newspaper in February
quoted him as saying: ''30,000 Kurds and 1 million
Armenians were killed in these lands, and nobody but
me dares to talk about it.''
Pamuk's remarks referred to two of the most painful
episodes in recent Turkish history: the mass
killings of Armenians during World War I, which
Turkey insists was not a planned genocide, and
recent guerrilla fighting in Turkey's overwhelmingly
Kurdish southeast.
To many nationalists, Pamuk's remarks were
especially upsetting because they were made to a
foreign newspaper. Pamuk, the critically acclaimed
author of ''My Name is Red,'' ''Snow'' and
''Istanbul,'' faces up to three years in prison if
convicted.
Cicek criticized Pamuk for not making timely
conciliatory remarks and not trying to clarify his
comments, hinting that such a move would have
prevented his trial.
''Why didn't he come out and say: 'I never said such
a thing,''' Cicek asked. ''He should have said: 'I
apologize to my nation.'''
European officials have demanded that Turkey drop
the case against Pamuk and do more to protect
freedom of expression.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul acknowledged the case
had tarnished the country's image abroad and said
laws limiting freedom of expression may be changed.
In Pamuk's Dec. 16 trial appearance, EU legislators
stood outside the courthouse and questioned the
government's commitment to free speech.
But nationalists pelted Pamuk's car with eggs,
shouting ''Traitor!'' and ''Love it or leave it!''
in reference to Turkey.
AP
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