Pamuk interview 'scrapped' over Erdogan plan opposition

Internationally-acclaimed Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk said Tuesday a leading newspaper had scrapped the publication of an interview with him because he said he would vote "no" in a referendum on expanding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

Nobel literature prize-winning novelist Pamuk had given a full interview to Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper which was due to be published on Monday.

But the T24 news website said it was cut from the paper because he said in the interview he would oppose the constitutional changes in a referendum on April 16.

Pamuk confirmed to opposition anti-censorship website Susma Platformu (Don't Be Silent Platform), saying that he was asked a question about the coming referendum during the interview.

"I said I will cast 'no' vote and I explained my decision with my arguments," Pamuk said.

"The news (of the scrapping of the piece) is unfortunately true. In the end, the interview has not been published."

Dogan Media Group – the Turkish media giant which owns the newspaper as well as television channels Kanal D and CNN-Turk – issued a statement that did not mention the controversy specifically but insisted it was impartial.

"Dogan Media's mission is not to impose 'yes' or 'no' but to help our people make a healthy decision through publicising all views," Volkan Vural, acting head of the Dogan Publishing Rules Board, said in a statement.

He said the group was acting with utmost care so as "not to be a part of 'yes' or 'no' campaigns."

Kanal D anchorman Irfan Degirmenci was sacked on Saturday after posting a series of tweets against the proposed constitutional changes.

Without naming the anchor, Vural said the tweets were "provocative and polarising" and an "open violation of our publishing principles" which made it compulsory to apply sanctions.

With the referendum drawing closer, Turkish society is becoming polarised into "yes" and "no" camps.

The 18-article new constitution would create an executive presidency for the first time in modern Turkey.

The government says the far-reaching changes are needed for more effective leadership, but opponents fear they will drag Turkey into one-man rule.

Pamuk, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2006, has on occasion been critical of Erdogan.

In a front-page opinion piece published by Italy's La Repubblica newspaper in September last year, Pamuk warned that Turkey was heading towards "a regime of terror."

In that piece, Pamuk criticised the arrest of prominent journalist Ahmet Altan and his brother Mehmet Altan, a renowned academic and economist and called for all detained intellectuals to be released "as soon as possible."    (AFP)

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