Pamuk: Turkey continues restricting freedom of speech

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish writer and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk accused Turkey of restricting freedom of expression during the inaugural ceremony of the Frankfurt's Book Fair, independent French journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net



"Unfortunately, the Turkish state continues to persecute writers and prohibit books," Pamuk said, adding, "The censure is always in force in the country. Hundreds of authors and journalists tried and condemned under the article 301 of the Turkish penal code. Some were even killed."



"The access to Youtube and some other Turkish and foreign websites is blocked in Turkey for political reasons," he said.



At the end of the speech, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who was also attending, diplomatically applauded the writer.



Pamuk was prosecuted under the article 301 for mentioning the Armenian Genocide in an interview with a Swiss magazine.