“When I decided to write a novel about Istanbul, I thought I should put the different faces of Istanbul into one book. I also put the characters in a cell, and it's three stories underground, rather than on the surface. The characters have one Istanbul, the other one is above ground. One is in dark, one is in light. That kind of contradiction - those opposite sides - creates a great energy in Istanbul.” WritingKindBookDifferentCharacterEnergyDarkNovelContradiction Author:Burhan Sonmez
“We are not in prison so we are free and happy? No. We're in a different kind of prison in this life. We have to confront it, and we have to liberate Istanbul and ourselves, as well.” KindDifferentPrisonDifferent Kinds Author:Burhan Sonmez
“Turkish society is divided not only culturally but also politically. You're either conservative or progressive. Islamist or secular. Right wing or left wing. This kind of division can be seen in any society, but in Turkey, the problem is that we are losing any kind of connection between groups and any kind of desire to understand one another. The groups hate each other and they are demolishing all bridges between themselves. So society is divided strictly.” KindProblemDesireHateLosingConservativeProgressiveSecularRight WingLeft WingTurkish Author:Burhan Sonmez
“So many academics have been imprisoned or expelled from their university posts just because they signed a letter calling for peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue. They are all declared enemies of the state by the president. Just because they published a letter saying, "stop killing each other and begin talking for a peaceful resolution." That kind of intolerance from the government towards the rest of society - especially people in favor of freedom of speech, human rights, and more democracy for everyone - is a very important issue in Turkey.” PeopleKindImportantPresidentEnemyDemocracySolutionsKillingHuman RightsPeacefulResolutionIntoleranceFreedom Of Speech Author:Burhan Sonmez