Nobel prize-winning Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk said on Tuesday that 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.
Mr. Pamuk had given an 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.
Mr. 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,” Mr. Pamuk said.
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“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 — issued a statement that did not mention the controversy specifically but insisted it was impartial.
Earlier, television channel Kanal D’s anchorman Irfan Degirmenci was sacked on Saturday after posting a series of tweets against the proposed constitutional changes. — AFP