The author, Asli Erdogan, was imprisoned for a long time in Turkey. On Sunday, she was honoured with the Freedom of Speech Award from the Norwegian Writers Association.
“More than any other author, Asli Erdogan has become the symbol of the catastrophic development in today’s Turkey,” the jury said.
Erdogan was taken by the police and put in custody in connection with a raid against the newspaper, Özgür Gündem, who had published several of her articles where she argued for a peaceful reconciliation between Turkey’s various peoples. She was released in December 2016.
“Despite persistent harassment, persecution and imprisonment, she has refused to cheat, and continues to claim that the only solution for lasting peace is through reconciliation. There is respect for such an indomitable will, and it is a pleasure to be able to award her the Norwegian Author Association’s Freedom of Expression Prize, wrote the jury.
The prize was awarded at the Authors Association’s annual meeting on Sunday.
Four of Erdogan’s books are published in Norwegian.
The Norwegian Author Association’s Freedom of Freedom Prize is awarded to a Norwegian or foreign author who has excelled in the work of freedom of expression and tolerance in the broadest sense.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
