My Favorite Turkish Writer – Orhan Pamuk
I’m trying to write about Turkish writer, Mr. Orhan Pamuk. It’s getting frustrating because I want to write about truth, about facts. I’m trying not to insult anyone but many people are sensitive to history, modernity, truth. I’m finding it frustrating. It’s difficult because I consider myself a modern person, forward-looking, and progressive. I put this posting aside more than a couple of times. How can I write this? I need to return with clarity of mind, this is what I want. What should I say?
Orhan Pamuk is one of my favorite Turkish writers. The Turkish people should be proud of him. He is an intellectual genius, a brilliant writer, winner of many literary awards worldwide and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. His novels have been translated into more than 20 languages. Wow! That a nation can produce such an individual should stir up the concept of national pride. Something for all Turkish people to be extremely proud of.
Okay, I am safe so far. Nobody’s feelings are hurt. I have summoned up national pride. Wonderful!
But this is difficult. The writer was arrested in his homeland in 2005 for “insulting Turkishness” for stating in an interview that since 1984, the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish separatists had killed 30,000 Kurds and during the early years of the 20th century, a million Armenians had been killed in what has been labeled historically as genocide.
For me, “insulting Turkishness” is a strange thing indeed. Here in Canada, I can say whatever I want about being Canadian and nobody bats an eyelash. I can be as mean, as insulting and as nasty as I want. Writers here write what they want and you either read the book or you don’t. For example, a Canadian writer named Will Ferguson, wrote a book called “Why I Hate Canadians”. I read the book which pokes fun at our history, our personality, our traditions, our Canadian-ness and our beliefs. The book was funny and accurate, and as of writing this posting, Mr. Ferguson has not been arrested. Could the same type of book be written in Turkey? I doubt it, considering that a country called Turkey has a crime called “Insulting Turkishness” in the penal code. Sounds really weird.
An individual must be strong enough to withstand criticism. A country must be strong enough to withstand criticism. Two countries come to mind immediately are Germany and South Africa. Germans had to face up to the shame of its nation for their crimes against humanity which took place during World War II. By establishing a Truth and Reconciliation commission, South Africa chose to deal with the sins of its apartheid past in order to move forward. These two countries have been able to stand up and confront their history; deal with the past and move forward. It takes a collective strength and will to do this. Even in the latest theories of psychology of the individual, people who need to deal with personal issues have to face up to their history and deal with the past in order to move forward. Progress is a wonderful thing. The end result can be glorious.
I once asked a Turkish friend what was the Turkish people’s problem with Orhan Pamuk considering the fact that he was a great writer and he had won the Nobel Peace Price. Her answer was, “he’s arrogant”. I didn’t know what to say to that. When I kept reading news stories from Turkey that journalists were getting arrested, I emailed her the news stories with my comments that there is something wrong with a nation who keeps arresting its writers and intellectuals – it brought to mind visions of times past of the Bolshevik Revolution or the rise of the Nazis; she didn’t talk to me for months.
Oh my God! In new-speak – I want to sound like Paris Hilton and say, “Get over it – already!”
But back to my favorite Turkish writer, Mr. Orhan Pamuk.
I’ve only read two books by Mr. Pamuk. “Snow” and “İstanbul: Memories and the City”. Of course, one would expect to read the “İstanbul” novel if you have loved the city as I have. It’s pre-requisite reading to a first trip to Istanbul. I loved both novels, devouring “Istanbul” slowly, like a delicious dessert and “Snow” I read quickly because I couldn’t stop reading it.
I wonder what Turkish people think of “Snow”. It speaks of things like assassinations, bloody coups, secret police, torture, suicides of the headscarf girls. I wonder if the Turks wonder as they read the book, if all this goes on in my country, what is wrong with my country?
I wanted to post a photograph of Mr. Pamuk in this article. The black and white photograph I have used in this posting can be found on the back cover of the paperback edition of “Snow”. The photograph is taken by a photographer named Jerry Bauer. I had to find Mr. Jerry Bauer to ask for his permission to use the photograph. I wrote one email to the wrong Jerry Bauer who then sent me the correct Jerry Bauer’s email address and voila! I had found the photographer! I asked his permission to use this photograph and he kindly gave it to me.
Mr. Pamuk looks bright and witty in this photograph, with a certain sense of amusement twinkling in his eyes. He looks like he has a very good sense of humor. He writes of the melancholy of the soul, of the city, of his country among other things. To survive melancholia, one must have a sense of humor. It’s that existential leap of faith over the tragic one needs to keep going.
There are other books of Orhan Pamuk’s that I would like to read. Among them are “My Name is Red”, “The New Life” and “The White Castle”.
Turkish people have so much to be proud of, they have an extremely beautiful country, a rich history, a splendid mosaic of culture, music, arts, literature and films. Time to move forward now by dealing with some Issues.
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