|
International PEN Congratulates Turkish
novelist Orhan Pamuk
17.10.2006
|
|
|
|
Newsdesk,
October 17, -- Many congratulations to Orhan Pamuk
who has today been awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in
Literature.
Lisa Appignanesi said: "I'm thrilled that Orhan
Pamuk has been
awarded the Nobel Prize. He is a great writer.
He has also been a brave one, speaking out for free
expression in a country where certain factions would
still rather that silence be maintained.
PEN supported him when he was charged with
'denigrating' his nation, because he had used the
word genocide in connection with the Armenian
massacres. At a PEN lecture he said memorably,
'Whatever the country, freedom of thought and
expression are universal human rights. These
freedoms, which modern people long for as much as
bread and water, should never be limited by using
nationalist sentiment, moral sensitivities, or—worst
of all—business or military interests.'
This is a statement with which writers in all forms,
media and countries can only concur."
englishpen org
|
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk
Photo: AFP |
Pamuk, whose novels include "Snow" and "My Name Is
Red," was charged last year for telling a Swiss
newspaper in February 2005 that Turkey was unwilling
to deal with two of the most painful episodes in
recent Turkish history: the massacre of Armenians
during World War I, which Turkey insists was not a
planned genocide, and recent guerrilla fighting in
Turkey's overwhelmingly Kurdish southeast.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
First world war
massacres | Related
issue:
Armenian Genocide by Turkish Muslims against
Christians
Turkey faces international pressure to recognize
that more than 1 million Armenians were massacred
during a 1915 campaign of ethnic cleansing by
Ottoman Turks. Turkish officials claim that most
deaths were caused by hunger and disease.
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 