Doğan Akhanlı

Doğan Akhanlı (; 18 March 1957 – 31 October 2021 ) was a Turkish-born German writer, and author of novels, plays, and essays, mostly in Turkish. He had been living in exile in Germany since 1992, after his political views led to several arrests in Turkey. His work is focused on the major genocides of the 20th century, the systematic extermination of the Armenians and the Jews. Critics praised him for his storytelling and his engagement in human rights work. In 2019, he was awarded the Goethe Medal for his political engagement, in particular for more understanding between Armenians, Turks, and Kurds.

Life Akhanlı was born in Şavşat in the Artvin Province located in the northeastern part of Turkey in 1957. He grew up in this small village. When he was 12 he moved to live with his older brother in Istanbul and to continue his education. He studied history and pedagogy.

In 1975, Akhanlı was arrested and held for a brief period for buying a left-wing paper. This incident led to his political interest and engagement. He joined the banned party Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey (TDKP). In 1998 the Turkish authorities stripped him of his citizenship. Three years later he became a German citizen.

Akhanli was a collaborator of the association recherche international e.V., which furthers the investigation of the Armenian genocide, committed in the first quarter of the 20th century. He repeatedly raised his voice to debate the crimes against the Armenians. He also initiated the foundation of the Raphael Lemkin Library in Cologne, named after the man who first used the term Völkermord (genocide), in 1944. Akhanlı believed that denial of the Armenian genocide is one of the main reasons "why violence, torture and despotism are still a reality in Turkey today".

On 10 August 2010, Akhanlı was arrested upon arrival in Turkey where he had traveled to visit his sick father. He was kept in investigative detention due to an alleged participation in a 1989 robbery incident.

On 19 August 2017, the Spanish police arrested Akhanlı in Granada at the request of Turkish authorities. After an intervention of German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel he was set free, but he was not allowed to leave Madrid until the court decided about the Turkish extradition request, with a ruling expected within forty days. On 20 August 2017, German chancellor Angela Merkel sharply criticized the Turkish government for abusing the international institution Interpol. On 19 October 2017, Akhanlı returned to Germany.

Akhanlı was a member of the PEN Centre Germany and has repeatedly spoken in favour of imprisoned Turkish writers such as Aslı Erdoğan. He was active in promoting dialogue between different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups. In 2002, Akhanlı began guided tours in German and Turkish at the EL-DE Haus, the former Gestapo prison in Cologne, and lectured about "Anti-Semitism in the immigrant society". He moved to Berlin, where he initiated a project Flucht, Exil und Verfolgung (Flight, Exile and Persecution).

Awards In 2018, Akhanlı received the Europäischer Toleranzpreis für Demokratie und Menschenrechte (European Tolerance Award for Democracy and Human Rights) of the Austrian PEN Club and the city of Villach. In 2019, Akhanlı was awarded the Goethe Medal. The jury noted his long-term engagement, in great clarity and without simplification, for more understanding between Armenians, Turks and Kurds ("... dass er sich seit langem mit großer Klarheit für Erinnerungskultur und zwischen Armeniern, Türken und Kurden ohne jedwede Simplifizierung eingesetzt habe").

He wrote his novels in Turkish. His trilogy Kayip Denizler (The Seas That Disappeared) ends with Kıyamet Günü Yargıçları (Judges of Last Judgement) set during the Armenian genocide. This part of the trilogy was translated into German. Annes Schweigen, play Verhaftung in Granada oder Treibt die Türkei in die Diktatur?, translated by Engin, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2018, Madonnas letzter Traum, translated by , Sujet Verlag, Bremen 2019 ,

Interviews "Wenn ich auf Deutsch schreiben könnte, wäre es natürlich einfacher..." (If I could write in German, it would of course be easier), interview with Georg Simet Interview mit dem türkischen Schriftsteller Dogan Akhanli: Zwischen den Fronten (Between the fronts), interview with Eren Güvercin, qantara.de "Jeder muss sich mit dem Holocaust beschäftigen" (Everybody has to deal with the Holocaust), Interview with Dirk Eckert, taz "Für viele Türken kein Thema" (For many Turks not a topic), interview with Jürgen Schön, taz "Migranten haben keinen Persilschein" (Migrants have no Persilschein), interview with Semiran Kaya, taz