06 06 10 - AUTHOR ELIF SAFAK ACCUSED OF 'INSULTING TURKISHNESS' IN LATEST NOVEL

By Cihan News Agency - Zaman Online, Turkey
June 7 2006

Ultra-rightwing Turkish Lawyers Association Chairman Kemal Kerincsiz, who is infamous for filing complaints against journalists and authors in the country, has filed a complaint against author Elif Safak for her book "Baba and Pic" (Father and Offspring).

Kemal Kerincsiz, who has sued famous Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and ethnic-Armenian writer Hrant Dink, has now also accused Elif Safak of 'insulting Turkishness' - over remarks made by Armenian characters in her latest book.

"Baba and Pic" is the story of relations between an Armenian and two Turkish families.

Elif Safak, who also writes for Zaman daily, has been summoned by the Beyoglu Prosecutions Office to make a statement following Kerincsiz's complaint. Safak said that the remarks of the Diaspora Armenians in her
book had been wrongly attributed to her.

V.V