Just six days ago, on March 13, 2026, a court in Istanbul sentenced Ahmet Altan to four and a half years in prison. This is his fourth conviction in the same case since 2016. He is now free, but under certain conditions, in a country where justice and political power seem to be intertwined. Altan was granted the right in September 2025, for the first time in years, to leave Turkey. This is his first visit to France – where his books have circulated freely for a long time, where “Madame Hayat” received the Prix Femina in 2021, while he was still under house arrest in Istanbul. He is here to present “Boléro,” his latest novel translated into French, published by Actes Sud in October 2025.
Altan has resisted exile despite multiple convictions in Turkey. He states, “First of all, I love Istanbul. Istanbul is a truly beautiful city. Secondly, being in exile, living in exile, from my point of view, is worse than being in prison.” He explains that prison has positively impacted his life, allowing him to write books. Altan managed to write books in prison by cleverly distributing his writings through his defense lawyers and making corrections during their meetings.
Describing his arrest in 2016 as “probably one of the strangest in the history of international law,” Altan recounts the interrogation that followed, where he was accused of sending subliminal messages related to the failed coup d’état in July 2016. Commenting on the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last year, Altan believes it was to prevent him from running in the presidential elections, emphasizing the rise of fascism globally.
Regarding the Armenian genocide, Altan explains how the decision to exile Armenians from Anatolia led to thousands of deaths. He emphasizes the difference between literature and history, stating that literature allows people to experience and remember the pain of individuals in historical events.
Altan’s views on resisting injustice and the importance of literature in conveying human suffering are profound and timely, given the current political climate worldwide.
