The Swedish Academy that chooses the Nobel Laureates in Literature said Monday it was following the case against Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, who is under investigation for allegedly insulting modern Turkey’s founder in his latest novel.
In a brief statement, the Swedish Academy said it expects Turkey to respect its international commitments and that it was monitoring the “treatment” that Pamuk — who won the literature prize in 2006 — was receiving in the country.
Turkish authorities launched an investigation into Pamuk earlier this year after a lawyer based in Izmir, western Turkey, claimed that the author insulted Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in his latest novel, “Nights of Plague.” The lawyer claimed that passages in the novel were in violation of laws that protect Ataturk’s memory.
The investigation initially resulted in a decision not to prosecute, but the lawyer appealed the decision and the probe has been reopened.
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