Journalist Ozlem Ertan has written a novel about Armenian Genocide
Journalist Ozlem Ertan, from Turkey, who has worked in “Taraf” newspaper previously, has written a novel entitled “My Beautiful Deads” (“Benim Güzel Ölülerim” in Turkish). The genre is fantasy, it was published in “Ithaki” publishing house last week. During the interview, the author mentioned that the novel is about the Armenian Genocide, the Kurdish people as well, and their problems in Turkey. One of the heroes is a priest – Garabed Vartabed: “Garabed Vartabed was killed in 1915, but his soul is living in the other world. He wants to forget his bad memories, but he cannot. He is a musician and very sensitive. Garabed usually plays duduk and remembers his hometown Dikranagerd (Diyarbakır).
Other main characters, Sidar and Azad brothers are Kurdish. They were killed in southeastern Anatolia and came to the other world. Their fate is linked to Garabed Vartabed’s fate”: Ozlem Ertan represents her novel.
In the fantastic novel, where the worlds of the living and the dead are present, both good and bad souls exist, according to the author. “Bad souls suffer because their sins follow them. Black Magician, who is one of the bad souls, killed Garabed Vartabed. He always apologizes to Garabed Vartabed, because he does not want to suffer. Garabed wants to forgive him, but it is difficult. I used many allegories while I was writing my novel”: says Ozlem. During our conversation, we referred to the question what has changed in Turkey after the editor-in-chief of “Agos”, Hrant Dink’s death.
“After Hrant Dink’s death, most of the Turkish people began to understand Armenian’s sorrow. Because they began to read Dink’s articles and heard his past speeches. At least 100.000 people joined his funeral and all people cried there. Hrant Dink opened the door between Armenians and Turks after his death. By the way, Hrant Dink is very important in my life. Unfortunately, I have never met him, but I read his all Agos articles. After January 19, 2007, I came to Agos and said to Agos team, “I would like to work at Agos.” I started to work as a journalist at Agos, after a short time of Hrant Dink’s death and I worked there for two years”: noted Ozlem Ertan. She spoke of her dream of what region she would like us to possess: “There are two worlds in my novel: Real world and another world. Dead people live in the other world. When they were alive, they lived in eastern Anatolia. Priest Garabed’s hometown was Diyarbakir. Sidar and Azad’s hometown was eastern Anatolia too.” Ozlem Ertan also expressed her opinion implying that literature and culture are able to settle the conflicts between the two peoples, according to her it is possible to recognize each other due to literature and culture for they transmit the emotions and represent the life.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
