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THE ONGOING PERSECUTION OF ORHAN PAMUK
By Stuart Woods
Quillblog
http://www.quillandquire.com/blog /index.php/2008/01/29/1748/
Jan 29 2008
Canada
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's life has been threatened - not for the
first time - by "an ultra-nationalist gang," reports The Guardian.
According to reports in the Turkish press, the author of international
bestsellers including My Name is Red was targeted as part of a campaign
to sow chaos in preparation for a military coup, scheduled for 2009.
The suspects have now been remanded in custody, among them retired
military officers and the lawyer Kemal Kerincisz. The latter has been
instrumental in the pursuit of a series of writers and intellectuals
through the courts, filing cases against Pamuk himself as well as the
novelists Elif Shafak and Perihan Magden and the murdered journalist
Hrant Dink.
A year ago, Pamuk cancelled a planned German book tour after he was
publicly threatened by Yasin Hayal, the murderer of Turkish-Armenian
editor Hrant Dink. However, the report fails to mention whether Hayal
is among - or connected to - the 13 men being prosecuted. In fact,
not a whole lot is known about the case.
The charges brought against the suspects are not yet known. The
investigation is being carried out under the terms of a law restricting
media coverage.
"This could be a big development," continued [Istanbul's Free
Expression Initiative spokesperson Sanar] Yurdatapan, suggesting
that because figures very high in the military establishment have
been connected with such groups it remains to be seen whether the
cases will be brought to trial. "We are afraid to have hope."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Stuart Woods
Quillblog
http://www.quillandquire.com/blog /index.php/2008/01/29/1748/
Jan 29 2008
Canada
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's life has been threatened - not for the
first time - by "an ultra-nationalist gang," reports The Guardian.
According to reports in the Turkish press, the author of international
bestsellers including My Name is Red was targeted as part of a campaign
to sow chaos in preparation for a military coup, scheduled for 2009.
The suspects have now been remanded in custody, among them retired
military officers and the lawyer Kemal Kerincisz. The latter has been
instrumental in the pursuit of a series of writers and intellectuals
through the courts, filing cases against Pamuk himself as well as the
novelists Elif Shafak and Perihan Magden and the murdered journalist
Hrant Dink.
A year ago, Pamuk cancelled a planned German book tour after he was
publicly threatened by Yasin Hayal, the murderer of Turkish-Armenian
editor Hrant Dink. However, the report fails to mention whether Hayal
is among - or connected to - the 13 men being prosecuted. In fact,
not a whole lot is known about the case.
The charges brought against the suspects are not yet known. The
investigation is being carried out under the terms of a law restricting
media coverage.
"This could be a big development," continued [Istanbul's Free
Expression Initiative spokesperson Sanar] Yurdatapan, suggesting
that because figures very high in the military establishment have
been connected with such groups it remains to be seen whether the
cases will be brought to trial. "We are afraid to have hope."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress