Sunday, January 29, 2012

Paul Auster Refuses Turkey Visit over Jailed Journalists and Writers

" [...] Speaking to Daily Hürriyet’s Buket Şahin, Auster said he had protested the Turkish and Chinese governments for their treatment of journalists.

“I refuse to come to Turkey because of imprisoned journalists and writers. How many are jailed now? Over 100?" Auster said, adding that Turkey was the country he was most worried about.

"Us democrats got rid of the Bushes. We got rid of [former Vice President Dick] Cheney who should have been put on trial for war crimes," the author said. “What is going on in Turkey?"

[...]

More than 25 of Auster's works have been translated into Turkish, and he remains as a very popular author in the country."