“You must create such an interesting national literature that the French will finally begin to feel they are missing something due to their lack of knowledge.” In an article published in 1966, the Turkish poet, journalist and critic Attila Ilhan argued that Turkish literature was far from having gained real recognition abroad. Is the situation different today?
Attila Ilhan
(1925-2005), was a novelist, poet, journalist and critic and was a controversial figure in Turkey since his youth. As an active journalist he was a great supporter of Atatürk and a fervent critic of the colonialist attitudes of Western nations. His novels focus on specific eras in the near history of Turkey.
