ORHAN PAMUK, THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND TURKISH NATIONALISM
by Geries Othman
Asia News
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May 18 2009
Italy
The trail against the Turkish writer, guilty of having spoken about the
Armenian genocide and the massacre of Kurds, could be reopened. Turkey
is sliding towards Islamic fundamentalism and nationalism. Tell-tale
signs; its friendship with Syria and Iran.
Ankara (AsiaNews) – The infamous article 301 of Turkey’s Penal Code
which severely punishes anyone who dares to "sully Turkey’s national
identity" is once again in the news. Over the past few years it has
silenced many intellectuals who dared to contest "Turkey’s democratic
government". Once again the writer Orhan Pamuk is being targeted,
in a case that has been on the shelf for over three years.
Just as the writer, the first Turk to receive the Noble Prize for
Literature (2006), was in Florence to receive a degree honoris causa,
rumours began to circulate that he will probably have to appear before
Turkey’s courts once more for having "offended the Turkish identity".
In reality the charge is an old one, even if ever present in public
memory.
Born in Istanbul in 1952, in 2005 Pamuk was charged with having
declared to the Swiss weekly Das Magazin that "we Turks are responsible
for the death of 30 thousand Kurds and a million Armenians and no-one
in Turkey dares speak about it, except me". However he was absolved
by an Istanbul court, above all tank to the intervention of the
International Community which also urged the partial modification
of art. 301. Approved in 2008, the change led to the cancellation of
the generic "offense against Turkish identity" and its’ substitution
with a more detailed "offense against the State or organs of the
Turkish State".
However on May 4th last, Ankara’s Supreme Court rejected the primary
courts ruling and decided to proceed against Pamuk because he holds
his country responsible for the Armenian "genocide" – a taboo word
for the Turkish nation – during the Ottoman Empire, thus committing
a grave crime according to the Turkish Penal Code.
World famous Pamuk is held as one of the most translated contemporary
writers, not only into European languages. Since his debut in 1982,
he has published nine novels and other writings, which have received
awards in Europe and the United States. He elaborated an original form
of narrative, at times complex and not always easy to read, through
which he explores, from a historic point of view, the problematic
issues of art, expression, identity and the relationship between the
East and the West. In his homeland and abroad Pamuk has had great
literary success. But despite this, he is still opposed by a large
part of public opinion in Turkey. An official in Isparta even went
to the point of ordering the destruction of his books in libraries
and bookshops throughout the province.
Pamuk, invited to the International Book Fair in Turin, decided not
to mention any of this. In the past he ad even refused to participate
in debates and discussion on the murder of the Armenian journalist
and long-time friend Hrant Dink. In Turin, when asked about the case
currently going to the courts, he commented: "I don’t think it is
a serious matter, even if I don’t really know the details of the
latest developments, nothing is official yet, but from what I have
understood I could be on trial again. Unfortunately, in my country
the justice system is politicised – said Pamuk – and you know that
if there is no freedom in a nation then there is no justice. This is
why I feel obliged to speak freely".
For now Turkey’s press prefers to hold its tongue on the issue and
only Hurriyet has dared to nod its head at the probable opening of a
new trial. No-one is sure of anything and they prefer to keep quiet,
given the scandal generated by the first case involving Pamuk and
article 301. Many hope that this is not the latest sign of the current
government’s increasingly authoritarian and nationalist stance. Many
see confirmation of this suspicion in recently improved relations
between Syria, Iran, and the Turkish government which has forgotten
the principals of secular kemalism and is moving towards an Islamic
extremism, in which nationalism and fundamentalism are dangerously
united.