ORHAN PAMUK: "THE SADDEST THING IS THAT THERE IS NO SPEECH IN TURKEY"

Panorama.am
20:48 15/10/2007

In recent days, at the Harvard University bookstore, a meeting was
organized with Nobel Prize winner, Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who is
quite well known to the Armenian community. As relayed by a Panorama.am
journalist in Boston, Pamuk noted the one-year anniversary of receiving
the Nobel Prize by publishing another book, "Other Colors," which is
a collection of essays and stories. The book presentation took place
in the hall of the Harvard church.

Pamuk, who read selections from the book, told the packed house how
he decided on a name for the book.

"It happened that chapters had names like ‘White Fortress’ and ‘My
Name is Red,’ and journalists asked me ‘what other colors does the
book have?’" So, I decided to name the book ‘Other Colors.’ This is
more so my journal, a collection of my thoughts and reflections,"
the writer said.

After the readings, a question and answer session took place. Not
surprisingly, due to the recent passage of House Resolution No. 106
by the House committee on foreign relations, questions related to this
issue. To the auditorium full of Turkish students and Boston Armenians,
Pamuk said the following: "The French recognized the Genocide, and
so should the Americans.

But this isn’t the final solution. The bad thing is that there is no
free speech in Turkey today. It is prohibited to talk about this in
Turkey today; people are living in fear. The solution of this issue
rests in the ability of people to freely discuss and look into the
question."

We remind that Pamuk, who lives in Europe, was one of the closest
associates of Hrant Dink, and is known in Turkey for his support of
Genocide recognition, as well as his outspokenness about Turkey’s
position regarding the Kurds. Pamuk left Turkey earlier this year,
out of fear for his life. This happened after his being accused of
anti-Turkishness, even though he was later acquitted of the charges.