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.… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Istanbul is divided by time, not space. The first Istanbul is the Istanbul of the past. A long time ago, during the empire, it… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
People feel that the beauty of the Istanbul is something we used to have in the past or something we will have in the… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
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… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
So many academics have been imprisoned or expelled from their university posts just because they signed a letter calling for peaceful solution to the… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Some people are like a defeated warrior: they accept the defeat, go to work, go back home, watch TV silently. That is like a… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Laughter is something we have against oppression and oppressive people. Dictators hate people who laugh at them. It's easy for them to destroy people… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
I've written some short stories about my personal experience, but it's not something you can use everywhere. Every novel, every work of fiction, needs… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
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… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Turkey are the independent people. We are our own nation in this world - a nation of writers, journalists, artists, moviemakers, and academics. We… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Someone might say about a person, "Oh, they are a 'Westerner." But who are Westerners? Greek, Bulgarian, German, English, Scandinavian, Spanish, American, Latin. All… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
Democracy is to have different ideas, even extreme ones. In democracy there is space for all of them and bridges to connect them. In… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
It's a bit questionable whether Turkey is a model country or not, since our government is supporting ISIS in Syria, since there are legislations… — Burhan Sonmez Copy Share Image
