Tilburg University in the Netherlands has decided to award Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish Nobel prize winning novelist, with an honorary degree. The university council approved the request made by the philosophy, culture, communication and theology faculties. The university released a statement about its decision that read: "Orhan Pamuk has been awarded an honorary degree for his pioneering analysis of traditionalism and modernism along the East-West, Christianity-Islam axes. In his novels, Pamuk not only deals with issues from a historical point of view, but he handles them as a theologist, philosopher and a man of culture," the Zaman writes.

The Nobel prize winner on literature in 2006 was lately criticized by Turkish nationalists, who accused the Nobel committee in bias and political partiality. Orhan Pamuk was indicted on article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code for «insulting Turkishness» as he mentioned the Armenian Genocide. Under the pressure of the international community the accusations were withdrawn.