Turkish Writer in Prison Writes a Book About the Armenian Genocide

The Turkish writer Ahmet Altan who was arrested in 2016 on charges of participating in a coup attempt continues to work on his novel “The Ottoman Quartet”. In the fourth and final part of the novel, events related to the Armenian Genocide are described, writes the magazine Publisher Weekly.

Altan started to work on the novel back in 1998. The writer knew that the process of writing the book would be long since such work requires serious and profound research.

Altan has already been known for his public speeches about the Armenian Genocide, even despite the fact that this topic is actually banned in Turkey. Speakers on this topic can easily go to prison on charges of insulting Turkey. When asked why he decided to refer to this topic in his work, Altan replied:

“I think that the best description of the dark and bloody side of history can be found exactly in literature. Literature not only shows the reality but also allows to emotionally connect with it. Reading about the feelings of a woman who witnessed the murder of her child, a person gets more full-fledged feelings than from any actual statement that at that time more than a million people were killed. You better perceive reality this way.”

Altan can’t say what will happen to him in the future. “I am working, and I can make my voice be heard around the world. Thereby, the question of when I will be released is not so important.”