Interview with Turkish Writer Aslı Perker
Recently, the “EJ” (Page in English) publishing house presented the novel “Souffle” by Aslı Perker, translated by Karolina Sahakyan and edited by Ovsanna Babayan.
Aslı Perker was born in Izmir, Turkey, and graduated from Dokuz Eylul University, where she studied American Studies. Her first novel, “The Scent of Others,” was published in 2005, followed by “The Executioner’s Grave” (2009), translated into eight languages, “Help Me” (2015), and “Autumn” (2017). The writer’s third bestseller, “Souffle,” has been translated into 23 languages, with Armenian being the 24th.
Aslı Perker was recently in Armenia as part of the special Armenian-Turkish program of the writing camp “Write in Armenia” by the “ARI” Literary Foundation. The program, titled “Verifying the Reality: Fiction/Journalism,” was funded by the Eurasia Partnership Fundation.
-You are in Armenia for the second time. Your first visit was in 2018. It seems that your connection with Armenia is strong and continuous…
-In the last year, I traveled to New York, Hamburg, Freiburg, Rome, Cambridge, and now to Yerevan. Every time I returned to Istanbul, I felt relieved, as if I wanted to put those memories aside. But in the case of Yerevan, the story is different. I am very emotional; I don’t want to leave, because not only the city attracted me, but also the people who touched my heartstrings. I highly appreciate the project; there is a humane, kind, friendly atmosphere here. I was attracted by Armenian culture: cuisine, architecture, literature, and art. I walk endlessly through all the streets and admire every building in Yerevan. This connection with Armenia has two sources. The first is the great respect I have for the culture, and the culture of Armenia is very rich. Secondly, I feel very guilty for the mistakes that my ancestors committed against the Armenians.
-You work with young people, students, and the new generation. How different do you think they are from your generation in terms of freedom, curiosity, and creativity?
-I don’t think that we weren’t open-minded; rather, we didn’t have the opportunity to communicate with different people. We have been isolated from each other due to the lack of channels created through the internet or projects like this. I am doing everything to be a bridge between our two countries, to serve as an example to the younger generation, and to break the stereotypes and prejudices created over the years. This is the least I can do.
-During an interview on Public Television in 2018, you accepted the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Do you talk about that with your students? How do they react to it?
-I talk about that with everyone, both students and adults. I not only share my opinion but also provide facts, excerpts from books, photos, and everything that a person needs to make the right decision. Many Turkish youths are not aware of the causes of the conflict. They know it exists, but consider it ancient history. Here is the reality: in a romantic relationship, the one who leaves can easily forget everything, while the one who is left longs for justice, their heart is broken. Although this is a simplistic analogy, it accurately reflects what I think. We tend to ignore the past and cannot find common points of mutual understanding.
-Your book was published in Armenian…
-I am not only happy but also unspeakably proud. I consider every effort I make to establish ties between our peoples as one of the important goals of my life.
-How do you see Armenian-Turkish relations in the future?
-Undoubtedly, it requires a lot of effort, but I am sure that such Armenian-Turkish cultural projects are very promising. A future where we coexist harmoniously may seem unrealistic and even naive to outsiders, given the complex political issues and the influence of great powers in the region. However, the essence of human connection remains paramount. Every time I witness the results of these courses, my heart fills with hope and I am once again convinced that we are really on the right path.
Samvel DANIELIAN
Design of the book cover by William Karapetyan
“Aravot” daily newspaper
03.07.2024
