“Antares” Media Holding CEO Armen Martirosyan is sure that we do not know today’s Turks well
Recently, at a literature festival held in Turkey, among about 20 countries, Armenia was represented by “Antares” Media Holding CEO Armen Martirosyan, writers Armine Andan and Hovhannes Tekgyozyan.
In the interview with “Aravot”, Armen Martirosyan said that the aim of the literature festival that has already become a tradition is to introduce the editors and publishers from various countries to local writers, as well as to establish contacts with literary agents of other countries. Our interlocutor informed that during the festival days he had visited over 20 publications, got acquainted with more than 120 publishers and has introduced the works of Armenian contemporary authors, including Aram Pachyan, Lilit Karapetyan, Mher Beyleryan, Hovhannes Yeranyan, Narine Kroyan and Hrachya Saribekyan. To the curiosity about which of the Armenian authors are more or less recognized in Turkey, Mr. Martirosyan replied, “Certainly, Hovhannes Tekgyozyan. He is the most famous writer today in Turkey, whose “The Fleeting city” novella, written in 2007, was translated two years ago and published there.” Then, he detailed that on the days spent in Turkey, Tekgyozyan was invited to almost all TV stations, and respected periodicals interviewed him.
Once, briefly presenting his novella, Hovhannes Tekgyozyan had told “Aravot,” “Among other main characters in the novella, Yerevan was presented with a separate character. My work is about the taboos in Yerevan. It depicts the dimwits driving “Jeeps” and the government repression against the civilian movements, in short, the demagogues operating in our country.” To the question about which of the Turkish writers “Antares” addressed, the publisher said that they have translated novels of 5 writers: Orhan Pamuk’s “My Name is Red,” Elif Şafak’s “The Bastard of Istanbul,” Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar’s “A Mind at Peace,” Ahmet Ümit’s “Memory of Istanbul” and Erkyumet Cengiz’s “The Clarinetist”. As to what kind of reception the Armenian delegation deserved in the year commemorating the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, Armen Martirosyan is convinced, “the image of the 100-year old Turk in settled in our brains. We do not know today’s Turks. I think that one of the most concerning questions for them is the purulent silence of decades and when they refer to Armenians in their literary works, thereby they want to get rid of the available pain.”
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Then, he added, “I personally was treated well by the Turks. When I tell my friends about this, I always hear that the Turks are cunning, not honest, and the good attitude towards Armenians is a specially designed policy. And I reply that I wish all the nations in the world, including Armenians, display this kind of slyness to me. I repeat, we simply do not know today’s Turks.” Our interlocutor informed that together with the Turkish counterparts, they have planned to hold art exhibitions, concerts, and other events in Yerevan and in Istanbul.
Samvel DANIELYAN
In the photo: Armen Martirosyan (right) with writer Ahmet Ümit and literature agent Nerim Mollaoğlu.
“Aravot” daily
