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The Nobel Prize for Literature 2006 - Politics as Usual?

By: Jim Masters
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:25:27
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In February 2005, at nearly the last minute to submit nominations for the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature, Turkish fiction-writer Orhan Pamuk made a surprise declaration in the Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger. He said, "30,000 Kurds have been murdered [in Turkey] and 1 million Armenians and nobody dares to mention that. So I do it."

It was a remark out of the blue...something that Pamuk had never hinted at before -- not in interviews, not in his novels, nor in his autobiographical writings. To a lot of people, it appeared that Pamuk was blatantly lobbying the Nobel Academy -- which has become known in recent years for its politically tainted literary awards. And now that he has actually won the 2006 Prize, a lot more heads are nodding in agreement.

So, despite Pamuk's attempt at a gracious press statement after being named the Nobel prize-winner ("I see the Academy's decision as an award given to the Turkish Culture, the Turkish language, and to Turkey") and...

Despite his rapid condemnation of the far-from-coincidental French parliament's same-day passage of the so-called Armenian Genocide Bill ("The Bill is a very unpleasant and inappropriate development. It's not in the French tradition of Zola and Sarte") and...

Despite an official congratulatory call from Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan (that Pamuk described as 'very nice') and...

Despite the natural pride the country feels on Pamuk's winning its first-ever Nobel Prize...

Despite these things, the Turkish public has very ambivalent feelings about the Pamuk award.

Consider this cross-section of Turkish public opinion...

Opinions of respected Turkish literary figures --

Pınar K?r (Novelist and playwright in 3 languages - b.1943)

"One has to say congratulations, naturally. But it's astonishing because he's not reached maturity as a writer yet. Coming this way, the award looks disturbingly like a political statement, not a literary one. And because it was announced on the same day, at nearly the same time as the passage of the so-called Armenian Genocide Law in France... Well, it's a very unfortunate coincidence."

?zdemir İnce (Poet in 2 languages - b. 1936)

"Orhan Pamuk is a very ordinary writer. He didn't win the award for literature. He got it because he publicly accepted the so-called Armenian Genocide claims. He put Turkish history on the auction block. What a shame."

Opinions of influential Turkish politicians --

Zeki Sezer (DSP Party Leader)

"We just wish that he could have won the award for his novels, not for statements that hurt his country."

B?lent Arın? (President of the Turkish Parliament)

"What does Pamuk think about the coincidental passage of the French Law, just hours before his Nobel Prize announcement?"

Opinions of 'the man in the street' --

"They say that Pamuk is the first Turk to ever win a Nobel Prize. He's no Turk. Not in my book." (Halil D?zg?n)

"I wonder whether he got the award for his marketing promotion skills or for cow-towing to foreign interest groups or for the power of his writing." (Unidentified man)

"Pamuk won the Nobel Prize by selling his country's honor. Let him go celebrate his award with the French politicians and the Armenian lobbyists." (Ugur Osmanoglu)

"It's obvious that this once-literary award has become very politicized. Under such conditions I would have been surprised if Pamuk hadn't won it." (Alperen ?zt?rk)

Opinion of the news media --

Rahmi Turan (Editor in Chief - The Sentinel Newspaper)

"Yasar Kemal (renowned Kurdish-Turk author of the 'Ince Mehmed' series of novels) is 10 times the writer that Orhan Pamuk is. But, although he's been a Nobel Prize candidate for decades, he hasn't gotten the nod. Kemal has never spoken out against his country, like Pamuk has -- and that made the difference this year. Well, Pamuk certainly can't be faulted -- at least not as a self-promoter. Still...in spite of everything, here's a toast to our first Nobel Prize!"

And, we certainly join in Rahmi Bey's toast... Hayirli olsun! (Congratulations!)

[Click following to access a fully illustrated HTML version of Bittersweet Award.]

Jim and (co-author) Perihan Masters are a husband and wife team, living on the Aegean Coast of Turkey just 50 miles south of Izmir. Jim was born in Shanghai, China -- of American military parentage. Peri was born on the Black Sea coast of Turkey near Trabzon, of Turkish military parentage...Enticed by a Financial Times advertisement, Jim joined a NATO sponsored enterprise in Ankara in 1974 where he met the beautiful and brainy Perihan, a rising young Turkish banking executive. Settled now in the heart of what was once the ancient Ionian Empire -- the couple live an idyllic life by the sea.. writing, drawing and painting, teaching English, and providing computing service support to local businesses. They also sponsor the MSNBC award-winning Learning Practical Turkish Website which has built an enthusiastic international following of devoted Turkophiles and inquisitive language students of all ages.

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