News Digest

Yasar Kemal, Turkey’s literary giant, dies at 92

Yasar Kemal, who was one of Turkey’s most celebrated writers, a traditional storyteller with a social conscience and an outspoken champion of the Kurdish cause, died on Saturday at the age of 92, state media reported. Kemal died in an Istanbul hospital where had been treated for pulmonary complications, respiratory problems and cardiac arrhythmia since January 14, the official Anatolia news agency said. Tributes poured in from the likes of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the death of Kemal.

My adventures are aimed at exploring the mystery of the human.

Yasar Kemal

Of Kurdish descent, Kemal won numerous international awards for his epic tales set in the Anatolian heartland that recounted the struggles of rural villagers against oppression and industrial tyranny. He faced several trials in Turkey over his writings and his political activism, particularly his denunciation of brutal government crackdowns against the Kurds, and served time in prison. Lyrical and richly descriptive, his novels were often inspired by Anatolian legends and ancient folklore and introduced the wider world to Turkish literature.