Turkish author and poet Zülfü Livaneli:
Translated from Turkish
Through traversed the political atmosphere in Turkey intellectuals, the situation likened Livaneli intellectuals living in Nazi Germany, “Some resist, while others compromised by the regime to continue to work, others are ignoring shut up,” he said. Livaneli, “Are you thinking of going to Turkey?” To the question “What ever happened to us where we’re going. People who live with honor must die in honor. “
Writer Zülfü Livaneli has commented on the latest book “Unrest” about the story of Ezidi woman Meleknaz, who lived the IŞİD persecution, in an interview with Ezgi Atabilen from the Republic about the issue of the uneasiness of the intellectuals from the political atmosphere in the country.
For the referendum, “I am very afraid of provocations, from incitement to propaganda for the next few months. Because neither side sees it as a battle between life and death, “said Livaneli, Turkey likened to Nazi Germany in the Second World War, today’s enlightened intellectuals. Livaneli said, “Some are resisting, some agreeing with the regime to continue, some coming from silence.”
Some of the interviews with Livaneli are as follows:
The poster of the book was not allowed to hang on the metro because of the OHAL. Perhaps people were worried that they would realize that they were ‘restless’?
There are so many human rights violations … It is not so important to prohibit the banner of a book so painfully. But today, book banners are forbidden, tomorrow books will be banned. The cover says ‘Restless’ and it’s my name. They did not put this banner and said to the people, “No, you are peaceful”. It is already clear that we went one step by step. But they banned the posters, so they did not interrupt. ‘Restlessness’ reached 250 in 15 days.
You presidential referendum process where Turkey will take?
It is no use other than to sharpen the people in a country that already has a camp. The struggles in the parliament, that nerve and anger create a microcosm. Now think of it spreading to society, which will be. I am very afraid of provocations, from incitement to propaganda for the next few months. Because both sides see it as a war of death and death.
Do you think the possibility of civil war?
We do not have much civil war tradition. But there are major conflicts. For example, 5 thousand people died in the ’80s conflict. Every day on the streets people were killing each other. I was looking in history in Turkey until the edge of the cliff carefree people behave, but I see that the brakes at the last moment. Now it seems to me like it will be.
‘We will remain what we are, honest people have to die honorably’
We’re talking about going from Turkey in all these alternative scenarios would you consider it?
No. I was imprisoned three times after 12 March on various, silly charges. The fourth time I was going to jail, my friends decided to go abroad. They were not going to live much anymore, we were in the situation. At that time there were blobs to the ground, electricity supplies, and Palestinian hangers and so on. It was a terrible time. I stayed in Sweden for five or six years. Then I went to Paris, for a total of 11 years. But then I was 20, I was not a well-known person. My situation is different now. There are people in the society who know me and love me. “Livaneli also left, he left the country,” I said. It would be to break the hopes of those people. It is both unfair and selfish. So we will stay here whatever comes. People who live honorably have to die honorably.
‘We are still in the barbaric period …’
Who gave people the right to torture animals? Anyway, if people can stop killing other living things, it will stop killing them. Especially in the Middle East are people constantly cutting each other’s heads? All these people saw that in their childhood the feet of the animals were tied and their heads cut off. One day the people will kill and eat other living things will definitely be closed and our period will be mentioned as the period of barbarism again.
‘A lot of my friends were killed’
I’m restless too. I was in military prison in my 20s. I came to the age of 70 guarding my friends in front of the prison. We talked to Yaşar Kemal every day. The persecution, justice … went without seeing that an environment where human dignity was held high was established. Tariq Akan is also like our other friends. We probably will not see the end of this …
Of course people are tired. I saw too many bumps. More than 50 friends were killed. All writers, writers, journalists, scientists … These people were imprisoned, miserable. But we’re here again. We’re doing our duties. We are again today like the intellectuals of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Some resisting, some reconciling with the regime to continue, some coming from silence. But if you are a recognized human being and you can communicate with the community, then seeing them is a compromise. Turkey is a country with people changing their lives newsletters …
Source: http://gazetekarinca.com/2017/02/livaneli-nazi-almanyasi-aydinlari-gibiyiz-kimi-direniyor-kimi-rejimle-uzlasiyor-kimi-susuyor/