Istanbul Writer Jaglin Celik: `The ghosts of the past won’t let the
Turks rest easy’
Sako Arian
21:09, August 31, 2013
Armenia and the diaspora expect that a new generation of writers in
Armenian will come to the fore in Turkey.
They think about this. They talk about it very little, and when they
clash with reality, suddenly they remain silent and lose all interest.
After the literary successes of the glorious Zahrad era (I say Zahrad
because he was the last of the Mohicans of the progressive literature
starting from the 1950s and an entire generation was to be baptized
with his name), for us to state that today that Armenian literature is
being written with a new sense of vitality in Bolis is a difficult
proposition.
In opposition to this nearly greying impression, a new phenomenon is
apparent. A group of Armenians writing in Turkish is already visible
in Bolis. Let me say that I have no pretensions of providing a full
list of their names. Given this, it is sad that there is no direct
link with these writers. Furthermore, specific information or
translations of their books and other works is lacking. Tragically,
this is the case.
`I wanted to be an actress, but it didn’t work out.’ This is how my
conversation began with Jaglin Celik; an Armenian writing in Turkish,
for whom falling into literature has become something akin to
preparing and presenting a theatrical work.
`When becoming an actress became impossible, years later, writing
turned into something like presenting a theatrical work. This was the
main reason, but there was something else. I felt I had things on my
mind to say to others. Through writing, I was able to listen to my
inner voice and express it. This was something very important to me.’
Jaglin concludes by telling me that she visited Armenia last June to
participate in the ninth conference of foreign language writers. Few
knew of her, and it’s unfortunate that her works haven’t been
translated into Armenian.
When asked if she considered herself an Armenian or Turkish writer,
Jacqueline Celik responded: `None of this is important, because there
are always cases when you think about your identity.’
To explain this reality, Jaglin tells me that when she travelled to
Germany a few years ago to take part in a writers’ meeting (and to
represent Turkey), some Turkish newspapers covering the event asked if
it was correct for an Armenian woman writer and a Jewish one (Roni
Margules) to represent all of Turkey in Europe.
Jaglin also told me that they present her as an Armenian woman writer
(her words). She starts to laugh loudly when she says this.
Born in Istanbul, Celik has authored four books, the last of which is
a novel called `Celebration of Wrath’ published in 2011.
The novel is about the `tragic events’ of 1915. She says the idea of
writing a novel sprung to life when she watched a documentary film
prepared by American health agencies. The film was about a scientific
experiment in which special conditions were created for mice and they
were given poison to gauge the effects.
The experiment revealed that the mice would start to scream whenever
they encountered the poison placed in their cages.
`I used this image in my novel,’ says Jaglin, adding that there is a
character in the novel of a mouse and that mouse lives for three
generations and that throughout the entire length of the novel there
is a certain flash-back. She also says that what she wanted to convey
through the novel is that knowing the pain of one individual it is
possible to also open all the cracks and crevices of all the
survivors’ psychological state of mind.
Jaglin Celik doesn’t conceal the fact that as a citizen of Turkey she
sometimes feels that there is a heavy burden on her shoulders.
Regarding this she says, `There are walls between us.’
She tells me that she is often invited by news outlets to speak about
Armenian issues and that she always rejects such proposals. In an
angry tine she says, `Why should I speak about these things. Let them
talk about them.’
Naturally, I was going to broach the issue of Armenia with Jaglin.
This is her third visit here and speaking about the future of Armenia,
she expresses the hope that one day Armenia will be the `final home’
for all Armenians. For the writer, the ultimate issue is that Armenia
becomes so strong that `it becomes the final home for all of us.
Armenia must become just as strong as Israel.’
Responding to my question as to whether certain changes are visible in
Turkey today, Jaglin says `The murder of Hrant Dink, which was a heavy
blow for Turkey, opened the eyes of many and they (Turks) started to
ask each other why Hrant was killed.’ She adds, `Today, we are living
between two extremes.’
When I ask her how Turkey will be able to extricate itself from this
crisis, she says that it’s a very big problem.
The writer also points out that in Turkey today such issues are freely
discussed, angrily noting that, `Everyone wrote about it and talked
about it, but it was an Armenian who died, Hrant died,’
`There’s a sort of unease,’ she says. `The ghosts of the past have
become visible. The ghosts of the past are in the back of the heads of
the Turks and won’t let them rest easy. Today, they are not at peace.’
When I ask her if this unease will lead to some changes, Jaglin
answers that `it is sad that the Turks quickly forget. The Turkish
intelligentsia is faced with serious problems today. What is more
disconcerting is that the Turks often use the Armenians and the Kurds
to resolve their problems.’
She concludes by saying that today the Turks have wound up facing one
another. `Today, they are in confrontation with their government.’
Continuing, Jaglin tells me that she has a strong circle of Turkish
friends and acquaintances and that she couldn’t imagine her life
without it.
`My milieu and my Turkish friends are irreplaceable. I have always
taken part in Kurdish and Turkish civic movements and gatherings and I
aim to continue doing so.’
Concluding, Jaglin notes, `We are not the same but we have lived
together and for me this is of great value.’
(Translated by Hrant Gadarigian)