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PAMUK CONSIDERS EU TOOL FOR DEMOCRATIZATION
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 26 2006
Turkey urgently needs democracy; if we attain that, we won't consider
the European Union necessary, said Orhan Pamuk, a renowned Turkish
novelist, yesterday.
Pamuk, who recently avoided a prison sentence for remarks opening the
so-called Armenian genocide claims to discussion, and faced fierce
criticism in the country for doing so, said that he wants to express
his ideas free from fear of prison or attack.
Speaking to leading Spanish daily El Pais, the author complained
about the appearance of an "attack culture" in his country, adding
that one has to be very careful about what they are about to say.
According to Pamuk, there's a strong nationalist group in the Turkish
army that also has anti-Western sentiments, which he claimed is
working against the government's European Union bid. "Concerning
EU membership, I can say that the government has slowed down after
facing solid opposition," said Pamuk.
He also criticized views equating Islam with terrorism and said
that the Muslim world has been inflamed by recent conflicts, and
not because of Western ideas. "There's a growing anger in the Muslim
world due to recent wars," he said.
The full interview is to be published in El Pais' Sunday supplement.
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 26 2006
Turkey urgently needs democracy; if we attain that, we won't consider
the European Union necessary, said Orhan Pamuk, a renowned Turkish
novelist, yesterday.
Pamuk, who recently avoided a prison sentence for remarks opening the
so-called Armenian genocide claims to discussion, and faced fierce
criticism in the country for doing so, said that he wants to express
his ideas free from fear of prison or attack.
Speaking to leading Spanish daily El Pais, the author complained
about the appearance of an "attack culture" in his country, adding
that one has to be very careful about what they are about to say.
According to Pamuk, there's a strong nationalist group in the Turkish
army that also has anti-Western sentiments, which he claimed is
working against the government's European Union bid. "Concerning
EU membership, I can say that the government has slowed down after
facing solid opposition," said Pamuk.
He also criticized views equating Islam with terrorism and said
that the Muslim world has been inflamed by recent conflicts, and
not because of Western ideas. "There's a growing anger in the Muslim
world due to recent wars," he said.
The full interview is to be published in El Pais' Sunday supplement.