Turkish Armenian writer Sevan Nisanyan and his wife at the island of Samos.
Sevan Nisanyan III
1. Those who call me a ‘national danger’ and try to make me out of the border of Karga Tulumba are not a ‘Greek state’. A nationalist paranoid gang holding their corner heads in Samos Police.
I don’t know how much their powers or allegiance are.
2. There is a lot to be said about the ‘Greek state’. But there is now that in Greece prosecutors, bars, former and new politicians, former prime ministers, right and left newspapers have taken an incredible enthusiasm and clarity, without keeping their words. I think this is an important indication. We can’t imagine such a thing in Turkey. There are civilized people in Turkey, of course, but at the state level they don’t speak; even if they speak, they speak with fear, fear, and forks.
3. Yes Greece is a more civilized country than Turkey. Maybe the state structure is weaker, the division is in the structure. Police, court, police, etc. three or five up are the same: miserable, stupid, humane. There were very sweet policemen, those who were in the mood of “we caught the Turks and suppress the Turks”, “I think this is an important man, I don’t need to get involved”.
4. Armenian Embassy and especially ambassador Mr. Tigran Mgrdicyan made an incredible effort to save me, he worked day and night, he did not leave Iraq alone for a moment. For the first time in my life, I felt that a state is standing behind me, without any condition and without any hesitation. A very different feeling. It was good, I didn’t know.
5. The court ruled that my detention was terminated. The unlimited resolution stands. But I think it will be fixed sooner or later. I may have to leave the country for a while and maybe live in Armenia, maybe elsewhere.It would be good if we could do this and open the door to Turkey.
6. Unfortunately, these are not the main problem we have, but others. We are bored.
A Greek court released on Friday a prominent Turkish-Armenian writer living under a temporary permit in Greece after fleeing a Turkish prison.
Sevan Nisanyan, a 66-year-old linguist and blogger has been arrested on the island of Samos last week and faced deportation. He was detained after Greek authorities refused to renew his residence permit, his wife Ira Tzourou said on Facebook and Twitter.
The court released him on the condition that he leaves Greece within two weeks.
The Armenian Embassy in Greece issued a statement on January 2 that it had sent a representative to the prison where Nisanyan was being held. It added that since Nisanyan is an Armenian citizen he would be welcomed back to Armenia.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Nisanyan wrote, “I have been released from custody after eight days in jail.
“Great thanks to everyone who sent their love and encouragement during these difficult days.”
Turkish-Armenian writer had been jailed in Turkey
The Turkish-Armenian writer had been jailed in Turkey in 2014 on charges of illegal construction, a case he claims was punishment for his outspoken views about restrictions on freedom of expression in the country.
He escaped from a low-security prison in 2017 and sought asylum in Greece.
Nisanyan had also previously been convicted in Turkey of blasphemy over a 2012 blog defending an anti-Islam film that ridiculed the Prophet Mohammed and sparked angry protests across the world.