Naipaul pulls out of Istanbul event

ISTANBUL - Nobel Prize winner author Sir v. s. Naipaul composed a writers' Conference in Istanbul, which starts Thursday moved, pressured by religious he opposed conservative media in Turkey, the statements, made on Islam.

The move sparked to draw two Turkish authors from the event, organizers said Wednesday.

Mr Naipaul, author had some 30 books, because type were the opening speech to the European Parliament of the writer here organized to Istanbul's status as European capital of culture this year to mark a literary event.

Associated Press author V. S. Naipaul

For the past week but religious conservative Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak and Zaman against the decision, Mr Naipaul, a 78-year-old Trinidad and Tobago, Indian origin honor while some campaigns were Turkish authors helped his right to participate in the Conference grounds of freedom of expression, to defend him, others said that you would boycott the event when he visited.

"As our authors can bear to sit from the same table with Naipaul, the Muslims so many insults worthy has seen?" wrote poet and Zaman columnist Hilmi Yavuz, the planned initiated last week to boycott and Mr Naipaul described as "Enemy of Islam" and "a colonialist."

The uproar over Mr. Naipaul's participation made that continued sensitivity of religion in modern, officially secular Turkey, even as it join the European Union soll.Freie remains of expression also fragile, with hundreds of journalists to study on your articles and thousands of sites one 2007 prohibited by law.

"These days if it is often said how we open for the world, showed this case as closed, we are still" liberal journalist ECE Temelkuran Haber Turk wrote newspaper.

Mr Naipaul, refused an opinion by its agency. A declaration by the agency that the writer had decided to visit a decision which it has been said Tuesday made by Mr Naipaul and organizers of the event due to the strong Turkish reaction.

"The politicization of the Conference in the Turkish media on Sir v. s. Naipaul's participation the original conception of the event and [his] contribution to the it has changed as a celebrated author," the statement said.

"We feel upset about things like how meaningless [debate] was on this issue and", said Ahmet feces, literary Director of the Istanbul 2010 European capital of culture Agency.

The organizers said that Wednesday night in Istanbul, Turkish writer had withdrawn from Murat Uyurkulak and CEM Akas, of which the latter was planned to moderate a panel discussion, the cancellation the Lord to protest Naipaul's visit.

Mr Akas could be reached immediately for comment.Mr Uyurkulak said in one he made his decision telephone interview to support freedom of expression.

"I am not a fan of Naipaul."I really don't like him.But I don't wish to participate in a literary event where someone is boycott because of what he says, "said Mr Uyurkulak.""If we host can someone be opposing views as he wants, if we can listen to you, we have a problem."

The organizers added that all were foreign authors already on the road or already in Istanbul, and none so far had cancelled performances.

Mr. of Naipaul's views about Islam, including those in 1981's nonfiction "among the believers: Islamic journey" and the 1998 "beyond belief: Islamic excursions among the converted peoples" have the anger in the Muslim world geweckt.Gegner of his visit in Turkey were several of his books as offensive and objection cited his characterization of Islam as "imperialist.".

"Islam" had a devastating effect on has converted people, "said Mr Naipaul in 2001 after a book read in London."Must be converted destroy your past, you have to your story to destroy it to stamps, you have to say, ' my ancestors culture does not exist - it doesn't matter.""

The European writer's Parliament was together with José Samarago sole winner of a Nobel Prize for literature, writer Orhan Pamuk, Turkey, the Portuguese Nobel winners who died event aims konzipiert.Die in June, to bring together 100 authors from all over Europe.

Jason Goodwin, author of "the Janissary tree," had just his arrived at Hotel in Istanbul on Wednesday when he heard that word Mr. of Naipaul's cancellation policy.

"" I understand can why bother Turkish writers could be "Mr Naipaul is a guest of honor, said Mr Goodwin, who has written about the Ottoman Empire in a telephone interview.""My impression is that he knows not the Islam, how deep it personally, I would have wanted to hear Mr Naipaul speak as an interesting voice, an interesting person would have been."

"Mr Goodwin also said he Mr. of Naipaul's decision to understand.""" We are all here as guests,"he said.""And who wants to be an unpleasant guest?"

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