“Is it my destiny. I accept it. Even if I don’t want to, they always talk to me about politics”, lamented Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize for Literature 2006, when asked by Clarion about the role of his country, Turkey, as mediator in the war unleashed by Russia through the invasion of Ukraine.

“Instead of bringing peace to the world, Turkey must increase democracy for itself”, Said Pamuk from nave 17, one of the concrete rooms of Matadero, the old market and cattle slaughterhouse in Madrid that in the 21st century became a reference cultural space for the people of Madrid.

Summoned within the framework of the literary conversations of the First Chapter of the Butcher, the writer who was born in Istanbul in 1952 came to present his latest novel, the nights of the plaguein the week of International Book Day celebrated on April 23.

However, it is inevitable to link his literature to the current situation in Turkey and the rest of Europe after the war started by Vladimir Putin on 24 February.

“(In Turkey) there is a lack of democracy and why many are imprisoned just for criticizing the president. This is more important to be successful in arranging a meeting between Russia and Ukraine ”, he replied Clarion.

Turkey is a member of NATO, providing weapons and drones to Ukraine to fight Putin’s troops but refused to impose sanctions on Russia.

“We need to talk to Russia”

In March, Istanbul is headquartered a round of face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials.

“You have to listen to the reasons and grievances, or the security concerns that Russia went into this war, not justify them. We need to talk to Russia. If the whole world breaks down with Russia, who will talk to them in the end? ” said Ibrahim Karin, adviser and spokesman to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who Orhan Pamuk says he does not know personally.

“I haven’t had a problem with my books,” insists the Nobel Prize winner who has been writing for 47 years. “All the judicial problems I have are because of interviews – he admitted – because if you ask me, my tongue is sticking out. ”

“I’ve never had a problem for my books. All my legal problems are because of interviews. Because if they ask me, my tongue sticks out.”

Orhan Pamuk

Nobel Prize for Literature 2006

Turkey’s first intervention in the Russia-Ukrainian conflict was during the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. There were Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dimitro Kuleba, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Little or no progress has been made although the Ukrainian minister offered your country’s refusal to apply to join NATO and position itself in a neutral status in exchange for a group of unspecified countries that guarantee security.

Turkey’s interest in mediation with explanation: “When it’s all over, you have to get up a new global security architecture. How the global security architecture is structured will determine the course of events for decades to come, ”Erdogan’s spokesman said.

“Every step we take, every step we take to end this war will have an impact on the new security architecture,” he added.

In a round of unsuccessful calls in which French President Emmanuel Macron tried to prevent Vladimir Putin from starting a war, he added the failure of Turkish mediation to stop the bombing.

Erdogan is, however, one of the few already exchange calls with the Ukrainian presidentVolodimir Zelensky, and with Putin.

Pamuk, in his statement, did not hide his discomfort: “I am walking here (through Spain) and I think you are part of the European Union and you have solved the democratic problems you have – he told audience that he paid 3 euros to listen to him- .They also have more freedom of expression. Everything I want for my country. ”

Madrid. Correspondent

ap