NPR.Org
Feb 17 2007
Nationalism Has Turkey’s Intellectuals on Edge
by Ivan Watson
All Things Considered, February 16, 2007 · A climate of fear has
settled over leading dissident intellectuals in Turkey, in the wake
of the assassination last month of a prominent Turkish-Armenian
writer. Ultra-nationalists have stoned churches, attempted hijackings
of ferryboats, and chanted the name of the writer’s killer at soccer
games.
Increasingly, writers and academics who have long challenged the
Turkish Republic’s taboos are seeking protection from the Turkish
state.
Worn down after enduring years of trials and attacks in the
nationalist media, Nobel-prize winning author Orhan Pamuk recently
fled the country. He was escorted to the airport by bodyguards. It’s
a far cry from the spirit of optimism and reform that prevailed just
a few years ago, when Turkey began negotiations to join the European
Union.
Analysts predict the tensions will only get worse, as mainstream
political parties compete to court the nationalist vote ahead of
presidential elections.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
