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Friday, December 16, 2005

Orhan Pamuk trial

When we were in Istanbul in September, his books were everywhere, and I still have one, his latest book, a memoir called Istanbul, that I need to read. Every guidebook emphasized how modern Turkey was trying to be, but censorship in the name of patriotism showcases just the opposite. I'd heard rumblings about this before, and it's not just scary, it's sad to see Turkey trying to deny its past. Every country (probably, I don't know for sure but I would venture to guess) has atrocities in its past, many that linger on and permeate how modern citizens view those perceived as "other," and ignoring them won't make it go away. It's the height of hypocrisy for Turkey to claim Pamuk as a national literary hero and simultaneously try to censor him. As many problems as this country has, I think the freedom of speech we're guaranteed by the First Amendment is one of our most precious, powerful rights. Prosecutors have charged him with insulting the Turkish Republic and ''Turkishness,'' a charge that requires Justice Ministry approval. What's highly ironic is that Pamuk, in the few pages of Istanbul I did read, emphasizes his love for his country, albeit complicated by many factors.

from today's NYT article on Pamuk trial

In a brief statement to the press, Pamuk said ''it is not good for Turkey, for our democracy, for such freedom of expression cases to be prolonged.''

He faces up to three years in prison for telling a Swiss newspaper in February that Turkey is unwilling to deal with painful episodes in its treatment of the country's Armenian minority or its continuing problems with its 12 million Kurdish citizens.

The deep emotions that the case has stirred were obvious at the trial Friday.

As Pamuk left the courthouse, a group of several dozen nationalists shouted: ''Traitor!''; ''Turkey is ashamed of you!''; ''Shame on you!''; and pelted his car with eggs. Pamuk was escorted by riot police, who used shields to push the crowd back.

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