Ahmet Altan facts for kids

Ahmet Hüsrev Altan (born 2 March 1950) is a well-known Turkish journalist and author. He has worked in journalism for over twenty years. During this time, he has done many different jobs. He has been a night reporter and even an editor in chief for various newspapers.

About Ahmet Altan

Ahmet Altan was born in 1950 in Ankara, Turkey. His father, Çetin Altan, was a famous journalist and writer. Ahmet is the older of two sons. His brother, Mehmet Altan, is also a journalist, writer, and university professor.

Ahmet Altan's Career in Journalism

Ahmet Altan has written columns for several Turkish newspapers. These include Hürriyet, Milliyet, and Radikal. He also created news programs for television.

Writing "Atakürt"

In 1995, Altan wrote a column called "Atakürt." This article imagined Turkey as a Kurdish state where ethnic Turks faced unfair treatment. Because of this column, he was fired from the Milliyet newspaper. He also faced legal trouble and was fined.

Leading the Taraf Newspaper

In 2007, Altan helped start a new daily Turkish newspaper called Taraf. He became its first editor-in-chief and main columnist. He stayed in this important role until he resigned in December 2012.

Facing Legal Challenges for His Writing

In 2008, Altan published an article titled "Oh, My Brother." This article was about the victims of the Armenian genocide. Because of this, he was accused of "denigrating Turkishness" under a Turkish law. A political party started the legal case against him.

Ahmet Altan and some of his colleagues at Taraf sometimes carried a firearm. They did this for their own safety.

As the editor of Taraf, Altan was also accused of trying to hide claims. These claims said that a certain movement was cheating on public servant exams in Turkey.

Leaving Taraf

On December 14, 2012, Ahmet Altan stepped down as editor-in-chief of Taraf. His assistant editor and another colleague also resigned. The next day, a columnist joined them in leaving the newspaper.

Legal Troubles and Imprisonment

Ahmet Altan faced serious legal challenges. In September 2016, he was arrested during a time when many journalists in Turkey were being arrested. He was accused of sending "hidden messages" that encouraged those who planned a coup attempt in 2016.

Writing from Prison

Even while in prison, Altan continued to write. In September 2017, he wrote an essay called "The Writer's Paradox." In this essay, he said, "I am writing these words from a prison cell... They may have the power to imprison me but no one has the power to keep me in prison. I am a writer." This essay was published in English and Turkish.

Many famous authors supported Altan. Neil Gaiman said that everyone should read Altan's response to his imprisonment. Joanne Harris said that governments imprisoning writers attacks freedom of speech and imagination.

Sentencing and Release

In February 2018, Ahmet Altan and his brother, Mehmet Altan, were sentenced to life in prison. From prison, Ahmet wrote notes that became his memoirs. These were published as I Will Never See the World Again. The book was recognized for a major non-fiction prize. It has been published in 17 countries. However, it is not published in Turkish because Altan worried about the publisher's safety.

In November 2019, Altan's sentence was changed to 10 years and 6 months. He was then ordered to be released on probation. But just a few days later, he was detained again after a court reversed his release.

In November 2019, Altan received the Geschwister Scholl Prize. This is a literary award from Germany.

Ahmet Altan was finally released from prison on April 14, 2021. This happened after an order from the Court of Cassation.

Awards and Recognition

Ahmet Altan has received several awards for his writing and his fight for freedom of expression:

• 1983: Akademi Bookstore Literature Awards, First Prize for "Novel"
• 1998: Yunus Nadi Literature Prize for "Novel"
• 2011: International Hrant Dink Award
• 2013: Turkish Publishers Association, Freedom of Thought and Expression Prize
• 2017: Istanbul Human Rights Association Ayşe Nur Zarakolu Freedom of Thought and Expression Prize
• 2019: Geschwister Scholl Preis
• 2021: Prix Femina étranger

Images for kids

• 

  Yasemin Çongar accepts the Geschwister Scholl Prize for Ahmet Altan.