The critical question is whether or not he would win the price if he hadn't been lying and supporting the political campain against Turkia. We both know the answer. This incident is just another example of the double facedness of European politics on Turkia.

...you are all free to think whatever you want about the reasons for Orhan Pamuk recieving the nobel prize in literature...but to me some of you seem blinded to the importance of this prize and further more...that the swedish academy could not care less about what he said or did not say about a possible genocide during the first world war. I think you are overreacting...a possible genocide during the first world war is not what concerns the world in general today...and besides that...if you knew anything about the swedish academy you would also be aware of the lack of political correctness that follows the nobel prize in literature. Check out the authors that has won for the past 15 years...and compare it to more political correct alternatives that would have been possible...also in the light of those respected authors who died during those 15 years and in that way were inhibited to ever recieve the prize since it is only possible to be awarded being alive. There has been so much critics towards the swedish academy for that reason.

Erdinc, why can´t you seperate the literal qualities that you obviously enjoyed so much in the 90s from your disgust by his statements that you can´t agree with?

I agree with Sui Generis...this is a turk winning the nobel prize in literature and not any turk...but one who is also seeing as his mission to show the world the complexity that exists in Turkey. I am happy he won the prize and I can only see good coming from it!

I do not understand why it is so difficult to admit that (your) ancesters did horrible things, nobody is judging you (being a Turk) personally about their acts. And being Dutch I very well know what it means, my ancesters were not so nice in slavery and colonialism. However, nobody ever said to me that because of that I as a person (being Dutch) am not good. It is not my government who did that (then Holland was a republic) like it isn't the nowadays Turkish republic who did that because it was during the Ottoman time. Really, I do not understand why it is so hard to look at dark pages of your history.

Second, I wonder very very much why the literacy qualities of Pamuk - whether you like them or not - have to be judged by political statements. Do you (anyone) know the members of the Nobel Prize Committee, do you know, have evidence of them being not honest? I don't think so, the remarks made about Pamuks's political view and then 'I will never read anything of him' do not only sound jealous to my ears but also a bit less mature, as if you always have to agree with the writers idea's to read a book.

i think that certain people in this thread are trying to deny events that actually happened in turkey....unfortunately however all countries to try to deny their negative history and hit it from their countrymen..thats why it is so important to read and listen to news outside of your countries as well..and don't get me wrong no news ever tells the true story..if anyone believes that it does i'd be very worried the media are there to attract attention and their bias should always be taken into account when considering news..for example these so-called 'weapons of mass destruction' in iraq come on we all know what the war is about OIL but the English news will say otherwise..i just have my own brain to realise otherwise ..anyways this post was just so i could make a point that maybe both sides of this argument are overexaggerating just a little because when things are reported inside or outside of a country the media are always trying to portray a specific view..and thats exactly what they will try to do i just thought of another example..these continual searches of muslim's houses in Britain..with negative results i personally wonder what our government is doing right now that they want to hide so much

its so silly..even nobel is politic nowadays...its not fair ....ehh it was obvious....

what he has given to his country?and to turkish literature? ouh god its stupid...

...eh, ramayan...could you be more specific?

I am convinced that Turkey eventually will find that Orhan Pamuk and his writing actually in a positive manner contribute to building bridges between the readers of his books and your country. I already know that the books I read by him had this effect on me...

And now Turkey will have a great opportunity to show the rich culture, that Orhan Pamuk also takes part in, to the rest of the world!

another good thing about this prize is that;
foreign readers will see that a turkish author won it...
first of all they will buy and read all his books... and they will wonder and discover more about Turkish literature... about Yasar Kemal, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Halit Ziya etc...