Cetin Altan

Çetin Altan was a Turkish writer, journalist, and a member of parliament. He was considered one of the finest writers in the modern Turkish language of the late 20th century. He published his poems and stories in various magazines and newspapers, and wrote more than 30 books, including novels, plays, essays and memoirs. He was also a columnist for several newspapers, such as Milliyet, Hürriyet, Sabah and Cumhuriyet. He was known for his critical and satirical style, as well as his liberal and socialist views. He entered politics after the 1960 Turkish coup d'état, and was elected to the parliament from the Workers Party of Turkey in 1965. He was arrested several times due to his writings, and was sentenced after the 1971 military coup, but was pardoned by the president. He received several awards for his literary works, such as the Orhan Kemal Novel Prize and the Turkish Language Association Essay Award. He died on 22 October 2015 of pneumonia-driven respiratory failure and septic shock. He was 88 years old.