Fethiye Çetin
Encyclopedia
Fethiye Çetin (ˈfethiːje ˈtʃetin) (born in Maden
, Elazığ Province
) is a Turkish
lawyer
, writer
and human rights activist.
She was born in the small town of Maden, to a Muslim
family. Çetin's maternal grandmother, Seher, would later reveal that she was by birth an Armenian
Christian
who had been taken away from her mother on a death march
to be raised as a Muslim
by a Turkish military official; this legacy inspired Çetin's first book, a recounting of her grandmother's story in the memoir entitled My Grandmother. The book, translated into English by Maureen Freely
, has become required reading at some progressive Turkish institutes of higher learning, such as Sabancı University
. Today's Zaman
characterizes the book as "part of a trend in Turkey that is grappling with a history of denial, nationalism and fears of political consequences" in regards to "the lost Armenians".
In her capacity as a lawyer, Çetin has represented the family of murdered Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink
.
In September 2010 Fethiye Cetin visited Australia as an invited guest to a public discussion in a Sydney bookstore, about her novel 'My Grandmother'. She also went to Melbourne as an invited guest to the Melbourne Writers' Festival. For an overview and analysis of her visit, see http://livre-sk65.blogspot.com/.
Maden
Maden is a town and district of Elâzığ Province of Turkey. The mayor is Musa Orhan . The population is 5164....
, Elazığ Province
Elazig Province
Elâzığ Province is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elâzığ. The source of the Euphrates river is located in this province.The province has a population of 552,646 as of 2010...
) is a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and human rights activist.
She was born in the small town of Maden, to a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
family. Çetin's maternal grandmother, Seher, would later reveal that she was by birth an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
who had been taken away from her mother on a death march
Death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
to be raised as a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
by a Turkish military official; this legacy inspired Çetin's first book, a recounting of her grandmother's story in the memoir entitled My Grandmother. The book, translated into English by Maureen Freely
Maureen Freely
Maureen Freely is a U.S. journalist, novelist, translator and professor.-Biography:Born in Neptune, New Jersey, Freely grew up in Turkey and now lives in England, where she lectures at the University of Warwick and is an occasional contributor to The Guardian and The Independent newspapers. Among...
, has become required reading at some progressive Turkish institutes of higher learning, such as Sabancı University
Sabanci University
Sabancı University is a private research institution located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1996. SU is a small and highly focused university with 2861 undergraduates and 624 graduates, maintaining a strong emphasis on social and natural sciences...
. Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman is one of two English-language dailies based in Turkey. Established on January 16, 2007, the newspaper's main competitor is the older Hürriyet Daily News....
characterizes the book as "part of a trend in Turkey that is grappling with a history of denial, nationalism and fears of political consequences" in regards to "the lost Armenians".
In her capacity as a lawyer, Çetin has represented the family of murdered Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink
Hrant Dink
Hrant Dink or Հրանտ Դինք ) was a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent editor, journalist and columnist....
.
In September 2010 Fethiye Cetin visited Australia as an invited guest to a public discussion in a Sydney bookstore, about her novel 'My Grandmother'. She also went to Melbourne as an invited guest to the Melbourne Writers' Festival. For an overview and analysis of her visit, see http://livre-sk65.blogspot.com/.