Orhan Pamuk – My Name is Red

(Reading Time: 8 min Approx)

‘The Creative Post’ earlier known as ‘Persona’, had the good fortune to speak with Orhan Pamuk in Manhattan. The weather was extremely bad and icy road conditions and tricks to avoid traffic was the dominant theme of the conversation. However, the political aspect of his life was also discussed. Here is a brief excerpt of the conversation:

Mr. Pamuk is one of 85 writers, actors, singers and other cultural figures who were chosen in December 2006 for the ‘State Artist’ award by President Suleyman Demirel. Several declined, saying they disapproved of the selection process or did not want to be associated with some others on the list. But Mr. Pamuk was the only one who said he was doing so for political reasons.

“For years I have been criticizing this society for its approach to the Kurdish problem, for its failure to move toward real democracy, for its violations of human rights and banning of books,” Mr. Pamuk said.

“Intellectuals, pro-Kurd­ish writers and even fundamentalists are in jail for writing books or articles. I thought this was a good time to separate myself from this happy public, which lacks a sense of self-criticism and immerses itself in crazy nationalism”.

Mr. Pamuk, 46, spoke on the eve of publication of his latest book, which is expected to be a best seller here. The first printing of 50,000 copies, the largest ever for a Turkish novel, is being shipped to bookstores. He said he did not expect his refusal of the prize to hurt his standing here.

“I say no, and they respect that, even in the popular newspapers” he said. “In a sense, they even like it. The only thing that upsets them is that I talk to foreign journalists who, in their words, ‘distort our reality.”  “There is a moral issue here,” “he said, this state does not have clean hands. If you accepted a prize from the White House during the Vietnam War that would of course have political implications. This is a similar situation.”

The title of state artist has been awarded sparingly in the past. Only 64 people have received it over the last quarter-century. The sudden announcement of such a large group of recipients this year may have been tied to President Demirel’s desire to broaden his popularity as elections approach.

In recent days, many newspapers and television stations have presented interviews with Mr. Pamuk. They concentrated on his new book, but he is regularly asked about his decision to reject President Demirel’s award. His frank comments, often including the names of Turks he believes are unjustly imprisoned, have brought the issues of free speech and democratic rights to a broad audience.

Many of the artists Mr. Demirel chose to honor are pop singers and others whose mass appeal exceeds their intellectual contributions. But several serious artists, including some who are strongly critical of Turkish society, were also included and have decided to accept.

Their decisions reflect the conflicts that artists in many countries face when deciding how to deal with governments of which they do not fully approve.

I have always been at odds with the Turkish state,” said one of the winners, Ali Poyrazoglu an actor and director known for his unconventional life style and political views “I’ve been banned, I’ve been beaten up and I’ve suffered at the hands of this state. Now, for the first time, the state extends a friendly hand to me. I’m certainly going to shake that hand.”

“Those who refuse the prize are not showing any real or radical rebellion,” said Mr. Poyrazoglu, who recently appeared in the New York production of the play “Pera Palas” “States are the same all over the world. They are oppressive by their nature, and artists are always opposed to this. So why do people who jump to take prizes from a country like Germany say no to the Turkish one?”

Although the state artist title car­ries considerable prestige, it has no monetary value except to artists who are already employed by the state. They normally receive salary in­creases upon winning.

Mr. Pamuk, 46, is one of two Turkish novelists whose works have been widely translated and have won worldwide acclaim. The other, Yasar Kemal, an outspoken advocate of the Kurdish cause whose works depict the exploitation of peasants at the hands of brutal landowners, was named a state artist several years ago and also refused the honor.

Turkey’s military has been struggling for 14 years to crush a separatist rebellion by Kurds in the southeastern region of the country.

In an interview Mr. Pamuk said he hoped the controversy over his refusal of the prize would not overshadow the appearance of his new book, “Call Me Crim­son (My Name is Red)” It tells the story of a 16th-century widow who searches for a new husband among the miniaturists and illuminators of the Ottoman court. An English translation is to be published by Knopf this year.

“The book is going to very much talked about,” Mr. Pamuk said. “And I don’t want that discussion to be damaged or limited in any way by this really tasteless debate”

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