The Upsides of Expatriation and Exile for Turkish Writers and Writers Living in Turkey

Abstract

While Turkey gets plenty of news coverage because of political oppression that often leads Turkish writers to flee their country and seek exile in countries with more tolerant governments it has also served as a nesting ground for writers who have left their native countries because they seek the stimulation that comes from living in a country with a different language and culture from their own or because they wish to spend time in an area traditionally associated with the wellsprings of Western cultural values and ideals. This essay explores how exile both self-imposed and involuntary can function for Turkish writers such as Nazim Hikmet and Zulfu Livaneli and for expatriates such as John Ash John Freely and myself as a means of developing their creative potential and of achieving greater international recognition.