Misplaced Pages

Sevan Nişanyan: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 18:01, 15 August 2014 editWhy should I have a User Name? (talk | contribs)6,841 edits Undid revision 621382536 by Nisanyan8 Warned for edit war. Please do not insert unsourced and not objective expressions leke++← Previous edit Latest revision as of 21:40, 3 December 2024 edit undoWerner Zagrebbi (talk | contribs)394 editsm punctuation 
(258 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Expand Turkish|topic=bio|date=July 2024}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{short description|Turkish-Armenian writer and linguist (born 1956)}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2014}}{{COI|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sevan Nişanyan
| image = Sevan Nishanyan ICM 2018 (43047074585) (cropped).jpg
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Nişanyan in 2018
| native_name = Սեւան Նշանեան
| birth_name = Sevan Bedros Nişanyan
| birth_date = {{b-da|21 December 1956}}
| birth_place = ], Turkey
| nationality = ]
| citizenship = ], ]
| education = ], ], ]
| other_names =
| occupation = Journalist, writer, linguist
| notable_works = ''Yanlış Cumhuriyet'' (The Wrong Republic); ''Nişanyan Sözlük'' (Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish), ''Index Anatolicus''
| title =
| criminal_charges = prison sentence of 16 years and 7 months for "building infractions" by Turkish court
| spouse = ]
| awards = ] Liberty Award of the ], 2004
}} }}
'''Sevan Nişanyan''' ({{langx|hyw|Սեւան Նշանեան}}; born 21 December 1956) is a ] writer and lexicographer.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2021-02-18|title=Jailed Turkish-Armenian writer Sevan Nişanyan announces his escape from prison on Twitter - Turkey News|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/jailed-turkish-armenian-writer-sevan-nisanyan-announces-his-escape-from-prison-on-twitter-115571|website=Hürriyet Daily News}}</ref> Author of a number of books, Nişanyan was awarded the ] Liberty Award of the ] in 2004 for his contributions to greater ]. He is also known for his work to restore ], a semi-derelict village near Turkey's ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21689877-mr-erdogans-commitment-democracy-seems-be-fading-getting-train|title=Getting off the train|newspaper=] |publisher=}}</ref>


Sevan Nişanyan was given a cumulative prison sentence of 16 years and 7 months for alleged building infractions, after he criticized the government’s attempts to prohibit the ]ic ] ]'s ] in a blog entry in September 2012. He escaped from the prison in July 2017 and moved to ], where he intended to apply for ], as stated in his interview to the Belgian daily '']''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sevan Nisanyan a fui la Turquie : "Je crois que le gouvernement est heureux de me voir partir"|trans-title=Sevan Nisanyan has escaped from Turkey: "I believe the government is happy to see me gone"|location= Christophe Lamfalussy for ''La Libre''|date= 25 July 2017|url=http://www.lalibre.be/actu/international/sevan-nisanyan-a-fui-la-turquie-je-crois-que-le-gouvernement-est-heureux-de-me-voir-partir-59772416cd70d65d24fa542c}}</ref> He subsequently went to live in exile in ], stating that he is "grateful to the providence that the goatfuckers who run Turkey gave him, unintentionally, this splendid opportunity."<ref>{{Cite web| last = Scott| first = Alev| title = The agonies of writing from exile| work = Financial Times| access-date = 2018-08-27| date = 2018-03-30| url = https://www.ft.com/content/2168d1da-31d6-11e8-b5bf-23cb17fd1498}}</ref> In October 2021, while visiting Albania, he was reportedly declared ] by the Greek authorities and banned from re-entry, with reason said to be a ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Greece reportedly declared Turkish-Armenian intellectual Sevan Nisanyan 'persona non grata' |url=https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/10/25/Greece-Sevan-Nisanyan/2587246 |date=24 October 2021 |publisher=Panorama.am |accessdate=12 November 2021}}</ref> His undesirability, according to ], was the information passed to the police by local Samos agents as if "the Turk is buying real estate", which, if it happened, would violate the law on non-purchase of real estate by foreigners in some border areas.<ref>{{cite news |title=Σεβάν Νισανιάν: Ανατροπή στην υπόθεση του Αρμένιου διανοούμενου |url=https://www.athensvoice.gr/greece/741185-sevan-nisanian-anatropi-stin-ypothesi-toy-armenioy-dianooymenoy |date=4 January 2022 |publisher=athensvoice.gr |accessdate=7 January 2022}}</ref> On January 7, 2022, the Greek justice dismissed the case, prohibiting any deportation to Turkey.<ref>{{cite news |title=Υπόθεση Νισανιάν: Ελεύθερος ο αρμένιος-τούρκος |url=https://www.athensvoice.gr/greece/741455-anatropi-stin-ypothesi-nisanian-eleytheros-o-armenios-toyrkos|date=4 January 2022 |publisher=athensvoice.gr |accessdate=7 January 2022}}</ref> The Armenian Embassy in Greece said Nişanyan must leave Greece voluntarily within 15 days according to the court decision, adding that as he is a citizen of Armenia, "he can leave for Armenia if he wishes.”<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sevan Nisanyan to be released: Court orders Istanbul-Armenian scholar to leave Greece voluntarily|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1072404/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=armenpress.am|language=en}}</ref>
]
'''Sevan Nișanyan''' is a ] intellectual, travel writer, researcher, linguist and polymath. He has repeatedly been in trouble with the judiciary for flouting Turkey’s restrictive freedom-of-speech practices as well as what he calls “bureaucratic pettiness” He is currently serving a 3-to-6 year prison term for multiple building infractions in his adopted home in the village of ].


==Early Years and Education== ==Early years and education==
Of ] extraction, Nişanyan was born in ] in 1956, the son of architect Vagarş Nisanyan. After graduating from the ] he attended ], then studied philosophy at ], concentrating on ], ] and ]. He did graduate studies in political science at ], where he worked under ], ], ] and Douglas Chalmers. His PhD thesis (unfinished) concerned competitive strategies of political parties in unstable South American regimes. Nişanyan was born in ] in 1956 to an ] family. His father was architect Vagarş Nişanyan. After graduating from the ], he attended ], then studied philosophy at ], concentrating on ], ], and ]. He did graduate studies in political science at ], where he worked under ], ], ], and Douglas Chalmers. His unfinished PhD thesis concerned the competitive strategies of political parties in unstable South American regimes. During his university years Nişanyan became fluent in several languages, including ], ] and ].

During his university years Nişanyan became fluent in several languages, including ], ] and ].


==Travel writings and publications== ==Travel writings and publications==
In 1985 Nisanyan returned to his native Turkey to complete his compulsory military service. He spent the next two decades as a professional travel writer and guidebook editor in both English and Turkish language media. With journalist Thomas Goltz, he published a series of guidebooks on Turkey's regions. He wrote the American Express Guides to Athens, Prague, and Vienna & Budapest. In 1985, Nişanyan returned to his native Turkey to complete his compulsory military service. He spent the next two decades as a professional travel writer and guidebook editor in both English and Turkish language media. With journalist ], he published a series of guidebooks on Turkey's regions. He wrote the American Express Guides to Athens, Prague, and Vienna & Budapest.


In 1998, with his wife Müjde, he brought out the first annual edition of ''The Little Hotel Book'', a guidebook in Turkish and English to Turkey’s small and characterful hotels. The guide was immensely successful, topping national bestseller lists for ten consecutive years, and developing into a cultural icon of the ‘00s. It ceased to publish after the couple's highly publicised divorce in 2008. In 1998, with his wife Müjde, he brought out the first annual edition of ''The Little Hotel Book'', a guidebook in Turkish and English to Turkey’s small and characterful hotels. The guide was immensely successful, topping national bestseller lists for ten consecutive years, and developing into a cultural icon of the ‘00s. It ceased to publish after the couple's highly publicised divorce in 2008.


Nişanyan was awarded the ] Liberty Award of the ] in 2004 for his contributions to greater freedom of speech.
==Şirince==
Nisanyan married '''Müjde Tönbekici''' in 1992. The couple settled in Şirince, a semi-derelict former Greek village in the Aegean hills of Western Turkey. They were instrumental in having the village declared a national heritage site, and they undertook to renovate ruined historic houses using the original materials and building techniques of the village.


===Şirince===
Several of the renovated village houses were eventually converted into a highly acclaimed by the name of the .
]
Nişanyan married '''Müjde Tönbekici''' in 1992. The couple settled in ], a former Greek-majority village in the Aegean hills of Western Turkey which had been semi-derelict since the ]. They were instrumental in having the village declared a national heritage site, and they undertook to renovate ruined historic houses using the original materials and building techniques of the village.


Several of the renovated village houses were eventually converted into a highly acclaimed "Hotel de Charme"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chateauxhotels.com/|title=Châteaux & Hôtels Collection : Hôtels de charme et tables gourmandes|website=www.chateauxhotels.com}}</ref> by the name of the Nişanyan Houses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nisanyan.com/?|title=Nişanyan Hotel|website=nisanyan.com}}</ref>
After 2006 Nisanyan collborated with Ali Nesin a prominent mathematician and philanthropist, in developing the Nesin Mathematics Village near Şirince. Constructed strictly along the lines of traditional Aegean rural architecture, the village offered summer courses in college-level and postgraduate mathematics. It attracted prominent lecturers from around the world, accommodating over 300 resident students by summer 2013.


After 2006 Nişanyan collaborated with ], son of the writer ] and prominent mathematician and philanthropist, in developing the ] near Şirince. Constructed strictly along the lines of traditional Aegean rural architecture, the village offered summer courses in college-level and postgraduate mathematics. It attracted prominent lecturers from around the world, accommodating over 300 resident students by summer 2013.
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ] -->
Nisanyan also built Tiyatro Medresesi, a theater institute and actors’ retreat in the manner of ]. The Nisanyan Memorial Library was completed in 2013. '''A philosophy school''' became operative on the grounds of Mathematics Village in 2014.


Nişanyan also built Tiyatro Medresesi, a theater institute and actors’ retreat in the manner of ]. The Nişanyan Memorial Library was completed in 2013. '''A philosophy school''' became operative on the grounds of Mathematics Village in 2014.
==The Etymological Dictionary==


]]]
Nisanyan's '''Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü''' (Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish) was published in 2002<ref>Ahmet Tulgar, Interview with Sevan Nişanyan, published in ] newspaper, 23 December 2002.</ref> was the first and so far the most significant reference work in its field. Popularly known as the "The Nisanyan Dictionary", a revised and expanded fifth edition was published in 2008. The full contents of the dictionary have been online since 2007, under the title '''Sözlerin Soyağacı''' (Genealogy of words), with new material added on a continuous basis. The current version covers detailed etymological data on over 15.000 words, in most cases including text quotations of earliest attested instances. In addition to being an indispensable source for Turkish, the dictionary is now recognised as a valuable tool for ] and ] as well, on account of the analysis of more than 5000 Arabic and Persian loanwords embedded in contemporary Turkish vocabulary.


==The Wrong Republic== ===''The Etymological Dictionary''===
Nişanyan's '''Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü''' (Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish), published in 2002<ref>Ahmet Tulgar, Interview with Sevan Nişanyan, published in ] newspaper, 23 December 2002.</ref> was the first and so far the most significant reference work in its field. Popularly known as "The Nişanyan Dictionary", a revised and expanded fifth edition was published in 2008. The full contents of the dictionary are available online at Nisanyansozluk.com,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nisanyansozluk.com/?|title=Nişanyan - Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük|website=nisanyansozluk.com}}</ref> with new material added on a continuous basis. The current version covers detailed etymological data on over 15.000 words, in most cases including text quotations of earliest attested instances. In addition to being an indispensable source for Turkish, the dictionary is now recognised as a valuable tool for ] and ] as well, on account of the analysis of more than 5000 Arabic and Persian ]s embedded in contemporary Turkish vocabulary.
'''Yanlış Cumhuriyet''' (The Wrong Republic) is a systematic critique of the founding myths of the Turkish Republic, which was established in 1923 around the sanctified figure of ], the founder and first president. Written in 1994, the book circulated widely in photocopy until it could be legally published in 2008 without fear of reprisals. It played a significant role in the deflation the Atatürk myth which took place in Turkey under the ] governments of the 2000s.


===''The Wrong Republic''===
Nisanyan was awarded the ] Liberty Award of the ] in 2004 for his contributions to greater freedom of speech.
Nişanyan wrote ''The Wrong Republic'' ({{langx|tr|Yanlış Cumhuriyet}}), a critique of the founding myths of the ], which was ]. Written in 1994, the book circulated widely in photocopy, until it could be legally published in 2008 without fear of reprisals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.armradio.am/2015/01/19/2015-should-be-declared-a-year-of-support-to-sevan-nisanyan-hatspanian/ |title=2015 should be declared a year of support to Sevan Nisanyan: Hatspanian |date=19 January 2015 |publisher= }}</ref>


==Index Anatolicus== ===''Nişanyan Yeradları (formerly Index Anatolicus)''===
In 2010 Nisanyan published an index of over 16,000 place-names around Turkey which had been changed under the ] name-changing policies of the Turkish Republic. There had been no previously published comprehensive documentation of the thousands of traditional names, mostly derived from ], ], ], ], ] or other more obscure antecedents, which had been ] by "Turkish" names in the 20th century. In 2010, Nişanyan published an index of over 16,000 ] under the ] policies of the Turkish Republic. There had been no previously published comprehensive documentation of the thousands of traditional names, mostly derived from ], ], ], ], ], ] or other more obscure antecedents, which had been replaced by ] Turkish or Turkish-sounding names in the 20th century.


The Index Anatolicus project went online in 2011, and developed into an effort to document all the historic toponyms of Turkey. The current database includes over 56,000 mapped place-names and can be viewed online. The project went online in 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nisanyanyeradlari.com/|title=Nişanyan Yeradları|website=nisanyanyeradlari.com}}</ref> and developed into an effort to document all the historic toponyms of Turkey. The current database includes over 56,000 mapped place-names and can be viewed online.


==Armenian Issues== ==Other books==
Nişanyan published three collections of his linguistic essays in ''Elifin Öküzü, Kelimebaz and Kelimebaz-2''. The essays dealt with a wide variety of topics in Turkish cultural history, exploring the complex multi–ethnic roots of modern Turkish culture.
Although a keen student of ] and ], Nisanyan avoided a close identification with Armenian issues for most of his career. After the assassination of ], an Armenian journalist and friend, in 2007, he took a stronger public stand on the sensitive issues of the ] of 1915 and the continued discrimination against Armenians in Turkey. A series of televised debates in 2010 between Nisanyan and representatives of official Turkish opinion caused much sensation, and led to legal action against the television channel that aired the debates. The debates nevertheless played a key role in easing the “Armenian taboo” by bringing the issues of genocide and discrimination to public awareness.


In ''Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir'' (2010), Nişanyan dealt with the limits of free speech under Islam.
In 2014 Nisanyan was awarded the ] in the Republic of Armenia for his contributions to Armenian culture in the diaspora.


''Aslanlı Yol'', his autobiography, was published in 2012. A series of essays on the cultural and linguistic sources of Islam, was brought together in ''Ağır Kitap'' in 2014.
==Other Books==
Nisanyan published three collections of his linguistic essays in ''Elifin Öküzü, Kelimebaz and Kelimebaz-2''. The essays dealt with a wide variety of topics in Turkish cultural history, exploring the complex multi–ethnic roots of modern Turkish culture.

In ''Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir'' (2010) Nisanyan dealt with the limits of free speech under Islam.
''Aslanlı Yol'', his autobiography, was published in 2012. A series of essays on the cultural and linguistic sources of Islam, was brought together in ''Ağır Kitap'' in 2014.


==Rock Tomb== ==Rock Tomb==
].]]
In 2012 Nisanyan unveiled his Rock Tomb, an ] facade in the manner of ancient ] rock tombs, measuring six by four metres, carved into a limestone cliff facing the Mathematics Village near Şirince. The carving was done using hand tools, and took three years to complete. Nisanyan drew up the design and contributed much of the labor.


In 2012, Nişanyan unveiled his Rock Tomb, an ] facade in the manner of ancient ]n rock tombs, measuring eight by five metres, carved into a limestone cliff facing the Mathematics Village near ]. The carving was done using hand tools, and took three years to complete. Nişanyan drew up the design and contributed much of the labor.
He was sentenced to five months of jail in 2014, with no possibility of parole, for illegal construction of a rock tomb.
]


==Legal issues==
==Marriages and Children==
Nişanyan was handed a cumulative jail sentence of 16 years and 7 months for several crimes including illegal construction in a ] in Şirince. He was imprisoned on 2 January 2014. After being moved to a lower security prison for good behavior, he escaped on 14 July 2017 and fled to ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/detained-author-in-turkey-escapes-from-prison-and-tweets-the-bird-has-flown-away-169894.html|title=Detained author in Turkey escapes from prison and tweets: 'The bird has flown away.'|newspaper=]|date=14 July 2017|access-date=16 July 2017}}</ref>
Nisanyan has been married three times, to Corinna-Barbara Francis (1981-1985), Müjde Tonbekici (1992-2008), and Aynur Deniz (2009-2011). He has five children from the latter two, Arsen (born 1993), İris (1996), Tavit (2000), Anahit (2010) and Mihran (2012).

==Personal life==
Nişanyan has been married four times, to Corinna-Barbara Francis (1981-1985), Müjde Tonbekici (1992-2008), and Aynur Deniz (2009-2011). On 5 May 2019 he married ] on Samos.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sevan Nişanyan|date=8 May 2019|title=5 Mayıs Pazar günü Pagondas köyünde İra Tzourou ile evlendim. Törene katılan, iyi dileklerini ileten herkese binlerce teşekkür..|trans-title=I married Ira Tzourou in the village of Pagondas on Sunday, May 5th. Thousands of thanks to everyone who attended the ceremony and expressed their best wishes.|url=https://twitter.com/sevannisanyan_r/status/1126089527263670273?lang=tr}}</ref> He is described as an "outspoken ]."<ref>{{cite news|title=Politics: Getting off the train|url=https://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21689877-mr-erdogans-commitment-democracy-seems-be-fading-getting-train|access-date=9 February 2016|newspaper=]|date=6 February 2016}}</ref>

==Controversies==
Nişanyan has been constantly under criticism for his controversial comments and behaviour on various topics. The earlier of those critiques relate to his commentary on a ] case, hence he was criticized for justifying sexual abuse and bullying.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/sevan-nisanyan-tecavuzculerin-cogu-bulug-caginda-yolunu-kaybetmis-asiklardir-diye-yazabilirken-ne-dusundu,360575|title=Sevan Nişanyan, 'Tecavüzcülerin çoğu, büluğ çağında yolunu kaybetmiş âşıklardır' diye yazabilirken ne düşündü?|last=|first=|date=|website=T24|language=Turkish|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125210648/https://t24.com.tr/haber/mesleki-egitime-staj-zorunlulugu-geldi,360572|archive-date=2020-01-25|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/sevan-nisanyan-cinsel-tacizciligin-manifestosunu-yazdi,806398|title=Sevan Nişanyan, cinsel tacizciliğin manifestosunu yazdı: Size vereceği zarar nedir!|last=|first=|date=|website=T24|language=Turkish|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125210718/https://t24.com.tr/haber/cinayetle-suclanan-cerkes-senator-parlamentoda-gozaltina-alindi,806391|archive-date=2020-01-25|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref> {{vague|date=September 2021}}

He emptied a jar of his feces over his ex-wife Müjde Tonbekici, which resulted in widespread reaction and disgust from the public, calls to cancel his column on Agos newspaper was rejected by newspaper management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bianet.org/bianet/kategori/bianet/108145/agostan-sevan-nisanyan-aciklamasi|title=Bianet :: Agos'tan Sevan Nişanyan Açıklaması|date=2008-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204210452/http://www.bianet.org/bianet/kategori/bianet/108145/agostan-sevan-nisanyan-aciklamasi|access-date=2020-01-26|archive-date=2008-12-04}}</ref>

After the ], Nişanyan tweeted that "] is the most bigoted, ignorant, most paranoid, and sexually obsessed city of Turkey where material and spiritual rape culture prevails. The city is based on a seized property, and is a prison of denied identities."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tele1.com.tr/yurtdisina-kacan-sevan-nisanyan-elazig-turkiyenin-tecavuz-kulturu-en-geliskin-kenti-123102/|title=Yurtdışına kaçan Sevan Nişanyan: Elazığ Türkiye'nin tecavüz kültürü en gelişkin kenti - Tele1|last=|first=|date=|website=tele1.com.tr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125210528/https://tele1.com.tr/yurtdisina-kacan-sevan-nisanyan-elazig-turkiyenin-tecavuz-kulturu-en-geliskin-kenti-123102/|archive-date=2020-01-25|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SevanNisanyan_r/status/1221078757739581441|title=Twitter|last=Nişanyan|first=Sevan|date=January 25, 2020|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125184543/https://twitter.com/SevanNisanyan_r/status/1221078757739581441|archive-date=January 25, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independentturkish.com/node/123091/haber/dilbilimci-ni%C5%9Fanyan-elaz%C4%B1%C4%9F-t%C3%BCrkiyenin-tecav%C3%BCz-k%C3%BClt%C3%BCr%C3%BC-en-geli%C5%9Fkin-kentidir|title=Dilbilimci Nişanyan: Elazığ Türkiye'nin tecavüz kültürü en gelişkin kentidir, çocuklara yazık tabii, onlar suçsuz|last=|first=|date=2020-01-25|website=Independent Türkçe|language=tr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125220200/https://www.independentturkish.com/node/123091/haber/dilbilimci-ni%C5%9Fanyan-elaz%C4%B1%C4%9F-t%C3%BCrkiyenin-tecav%C3%BCz-k%C3%BClt%C3%BCr%C3%BC-en-geli%C5%9Fkin-kentidir|archive-date=2020-01-25|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref>


==Books== ==Books==
*Türkiye’nin Ermeni Coğrafyası (2024)
*Ağır Kitap (2014)
*Kıyamet Kopmayınca Ne Olur? / Pazar Sohbetleri 5 (2023)
*Aslanlı Yol (2012)
*Dünyanın En Kötü Oteli Nerede? / Pazar Sohbetleri 4 (2023)
*Şirince Meydan Muharebelerinin Mufassal Tarihçesi (2011)
*İnsanlar Nasıl Koyunlaştı? / Pazar Sohbetleri 3 (2023)
*Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir (2010)
*Evrende Kaç Yozgat Var? / Pazar Sohbetleri 2 (2023)
*Adını Unutan Ülke (2010)
*Gemici Henri Türkiye’yi Nasıl Batırdı? / Pazar Sohbetleri 1 (2023)
*Kelimebaz 2 (2010)
*Türkiye Kişi Adları Sözlüğü (2021)
*Kelimebaz 1 (2009)
*Cezaevi Yazıları (2021)
*Yanlış Cumhuriyet / Atatürk ve Kemalizm Üzerine 51 Soru (2008)
*Halim İle Selim / Tanrılar ve Dinler Üzerine Bir Tartışma (2021)
*Nişanyan Sözlük Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojisi (2020)
*Türkiye Yer Adları Sözlüğü (2020)
*Sürgün Yazıları (2020)
*Swami Dayananda Saraswati’nin Kuran Eleştirisi (2019)
*İyimser Zamanlar (2018)
*Ağır Kitap (Heavy Book) - (2014)
*Aslanlı Yol (Lion Road) - (2012) {{ISBN|9789756201701}}
*Şirince Meydan Muharebelerinin Mufassal Tarihçesi (Detailed History of the Şirince Pitched Battles) - (2011)
*Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir? (Master, is it permissible to insult God and the Prophet?) - (2010)
*Adını Unutan Ülke (The Country That Forgot Its Name) - (2010)
*Kelimebaz 2 (Vocabularybase 2) - (2010)
*Kelimebaz 1 (Vocabularybase 1) - (2009)
*Yanlış Cumhuriyet / Atatürk ve Kemalizm Üzerine 51 Soru (The Wrong Republic / 51 Questions on Atatürk and Kemalism) - (2008) {{ISBN|975-9169-77-0}}
*Eastern Turkey, A Travelers Handbook (2006) *Eastern Turkey, A Travelers Handbook (2006)
*Elifin Öküzü ya da Sürprizler Kitabı (2002) *Elifin Öküzü ya da Sürprizler Kitabı (Elif's Ox or The Book of Surprises) - (2002) {{ISBN|975-418-744-4}}
*Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü (2002) *Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü (Genealogy of Words: Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish) - (2002)
*Black Sea, A Travelers’ Handbook (2000) *Black Sea, A Travelers’ Handbook (2000)
*The Undiscovered Places of Turkey (2000) *The Undiscovered Places of Turkey (2000)
*The Little Hotel Book (1998-2008) *The Little Hotel Book (1998/2008) {{ISBN|975-521-376-7}}
*American Express Guide: Prague, Mitchell Beazley (1993) *American Express Guide: Prague, Mitchell Beazley (1993)
*American Express Guide: Vienna and Budapest, Mitchell Beazley (1992) *American Express Guide: Vienna and Budapest, Mitchell Beazley (1992)
*American Express Guide: Athens and the Classical Sites, Mitchell Beazley (1991) *American Express Guide: Athens and the Classical Sites, Mitchell Beazley (1991)
*Travels Bugs Turkey (1992) *Travels Bugs Turkey (1992)
*Karl Marx: Grundrisse, Ekonomi Politiğin Eleştirisi için Ön Çalışma (translation) (1980) *Karl Marx: Grundrisse, Ekonomi Politiğin Eleştirisi için Ön Çalışma (Karl Marx: Grundrisse, Preliminary Study for the Critique of Political Economy) - (1980)
*Ankara'nın Doğusundaki Türkiye (Turkey to the East of Ankara) - (2006) {{ISBN|975-23-0196-7}}
*Herkesin Bilmediği Olağanüstü Yerler (Extraordinary Places Not Everyone Knows) - (2000) {{ISBN|975-521-377-5}}
*Mavi Kıyılarda Yeme İçme Sanatı (The Art of Eating and Drinking on the Blue Shores) - (1998) {{ISBN|975-7143-23-5}}
*100 Güzel Kelime (100 Beautiful Words) - (2016)
*Halim ile Selim (Halim and Selim) - (2018)
*İyimser Zamanlar (Optimistic Times) - (2018)


==References== ==References==
Line 85: Line 129:


==External links== ==External links==
*

*
* *
*
*
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
*
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata
| NAME = Nisanyan, Sevan
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Turkish author
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1956
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nisanyan, Sevan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nisanyan, Sevan}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 21:40, 3 December 2024

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Turkish. (July 2024) Click for important translation instructions.
  • Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Misplaced Pages.
  • Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
  • You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Turkish Misplaced Pages article at ]; see its history for attribution.
  • You may also add the template {{Translated|tr|Sevan Nişanyan}} to the talk page.
  • For more guidance, see Misplaced Pages:Translation.
Turkish-Armenian writer and linguist (born 1956)
Sevan Nişanyan
Սեւան Նշանեան
Nişanyan in 2018
BornSevan Bedros Nişanyan
21 December 1956 (1956-12-21) (age 68)
Istanbul, Turkey
NationalityArmenian
CitizenshipTurkey, Armenia
EducationRobert College, Yale University, Columbia University
Occupation(s)Journalist, writer, linguist
Notable workYanlış Cumhuriyet (The Wrong Republic); Nişanyan Sözlük (Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish), Index Anatolicus
Criminal chargesprison sentence of 16 years and 7 months for "building infractions" by Turkish court
SpouseIra Tzourou
AwardsAyşe Nur Zarakolu Liberty Award of the Turkish Human Rights Association, 2004

Sevan Nişanyan (Western Armenian: Սեւան Նշանեան; born 21 December 1956) is a Turkish-Armenian writer and lexicographer. Author of a number of books, Nişanyan was awarded the Ayşe Nur Zarakolu Liberty Award of the Turkish Human Rights Association in 2004 for his contributions to greater freedom of speech. He is also known for his work to restore Şirince, a semi-derelict village near Turkey's Aegean coast.

Sevan Nişanyan was given a cumulative prison sentence of 16 years and 7 months for alleged building infractions, after he criticized the government’s attempts to prohibit the Islamic prophet Muhammad's criticism in a blog entry in September 2012. He escaped from the prison in July 2017 and moved to Athens, where he intended to apply for political asylum, as stated in his interview to the Belgian daily La Libre Belgique. He subsequently went to live in exile in Samos, stating that he is "grateful to the providence that the goatfuckers who run Turkey gave him, unintentionally, this splendid opportunity." In October 2021, while visiting Albania, he was reportedly declared persona non grata by the Greek authorities and banned from re-entry, with reason said to be a state secret. His undesirability, according to Athens Voice, was the information passed to the police by local Samos agents as if "the Turk is buying real estate", which, if it happened, would violate the law on non-purchase of real estate by foreigners in some border areas. On January 7, 2022, the Greek justice dismissed the case, prohibiting any deportation to Turkey. The Armenian Embassy in Greece said Nişanyan must leave Greece voluntarily within 15 days according to the court decision, adding that as he is a citizen of Armenia, "he can leave for Armenia if he wishes.”

Early years and education

Nişanyan was born in Istanbul in 1956 to an Armenian family. His father was architect Vagarş Nişanyan. After graduating from the Private Armenian School of Pangaltı, he attended Robert College, then studied philosophy at Yale University, concentrating on Kant, Hegel, and Thomas Aquinas. He did graduate studies in political science at Columbia University, where he worked under Giovanni Sartori, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Seweryn Bialer, and Douglas Chalmers. His unfinished PhD thesis concerned the competitive strategies of political parties in unstable South American regimes. During his university years Nişanyan became fluent in several languages, including Latin, Arabic and Classical Armenian.

Travel writings and publications

In 1985, Nişanyan returned to his native Turkey to complete his compulsory military service. He spent the next two decades as a professional travel writer and guidebook editor in both English and Turkish language media. With journalist Thomas Goltz, he published a series of guidebooks on Turkey's regions. He wrote the American Express Guides to Athens, Prague, and Vienna & Budapest.

In 1998, with his wife Müjde, he brought out the first annual edition of The Little Hotel Book, a guidebook in Turkish and English to Turkey’s small and characterful hotels. The guide was immensely successful, topping national bestseller lists for ten consecutive years, and developing into a cultural icon of the ‘00s. It ceased to publish after the couple's highly publicised divorce in 2008.

Nişanyan was awarded the Ayşe Nur Zarakolu Liberty Award of the Turkish Human Rights Association in 2004 for his contributions to greater freedom of speech.

Şirince

A view of Şirince

Nişanyan married Müjde Tönbekici in 1992. The couple settled in Şirince, a former Greek-majority village in the Aegean hills of Western Turkey which had been semi-derelict since the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. They were instrumental in having the village declared a national heritage site, and they undertook to renovate ruined historic houses using the original materials and building techniques of the village.

Several of the renovated village houses were eventually converted into a highly acclaimed "Hotel de Charme" by the name of the Nişanyan Houses.

After 2006 Nişanyan collaborated with Ali Nesin, son of the writer Aziz Nesin and prominent mathematician and philanthropist, in developing the Nesin Mathematics Village near Şirince. Constructed strictly along the lines of traditional Aegean rural architecture, the village offered summer courses in college-level and postgraduate mathematics. It attracted prominent lecturers from around the world, accommodating over 300 resident students by summer 2013.

Nişanyan also built Tiyatro Medresesi, a theater institute and actors’ retreat in the manner of mediaeval Muslim seminaries. The Nişanyan Memorial Library was completed in 2013. A philosophy school became operative on the grounds of Mathematics Village in 2014.

Nişanyan's bust in Nesin Mathematics Village

The Etymological Dictionary

Nişanyan's Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü (Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish), published in 2002 was the first and so far the most significant reference work in its field. Popularly known as "The Nişanyan Dictionary", a revised and expanded fifth edition was published in 2008. The full contents of the dictionary are available online at Nisanyansozluk.com, with new material added on a continuous basis. The current version covers detailed etymological data on over 15.000 words, in most cases including text quotations of earliest attested instances. In addition to being an indispensable source for Turkish, the dictionary is now recognised as a valuable tool for Semitic and Iranian etymology as well, on account of the analysis of more than 5000 Arabic and Persian loanwords embedded in contemporary Turkish vocabulary.

The Wrong Republic

Nişanyan wrote The Wrong Republic (Turkish: Yanlış Cumhuriyet), a critique of the founding myths of the Republic of Turkey, which was established in 1923. Written in 1994, the book circulated widely in photocopy, until it could be legally published in 2008 without fear of reprisals.

Nişanyan Yeradları (formerly Index Anatolicus)

In 2010, Nişanyan published an index of over 16,000 place-names across Anatolia which had been changed under the Turkification policies of the Turkish Republic. There had been no previously published comprehensive documentation of the thousands of traditional names, mostly derived from Greek, Armenian, Kurdish, Syriac, Arabic, Lazuri or other more obscure antecedents, which had been replaced by newly invented Turkish or Turkish-sounding names in the 20th century.

The project went online in 2010, and developed into an effort to document all the historic toponyms of Turkey. The current database includes over 56,000 mapped place-names and can be viewed online.

Other books

Nişanyan published three collections of his linguistic essays in Elifin Öküzü, Kelimebaz and Kelimebaz-2. The essays dealt with a wide variety of topics in Turkish cultural history, exploring the complex multi–ethnic roots of modern Turkish culture.

In Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir (2010), Nişanyan dealt with the limits of free speech under Islam.

Aslanlı Yol, his autobiography, was published in 2012. A series of essays on the cultural and linguistic sources of Islam, was brought together in Ağır Kitap in 2014.

Rock Tomb

The "Rock Tomb" in Şirince.

In 2012, Nişanyan unveiled his Rock Tomb, an Ionic order facade in the manner of ancient Lycian rock tombs, measuring eight by five metres, carved into a limestone cliff facing the Mathematics Village near Şirince. The carving was done using hand tools, and took three years to complete. Nişanyan drew up the design and contributed much of the labor.

Legal issues

Nişanyan was handed a cumulative jail sentence of 16 years and 7 months for several crimes including illegal construction in a protected nature zone in Şirince. He was imprisoned on 2 January 2014. After being moved to a lower security prison for good behavior, he escaped on 14 July 2017 and fled to Greece.

Personal life

Nişanyan has been married four times, to Corinna-Barbara Francis (1981-1985), Müjde Tonbekici (1992-2008), and Aynur Deniz (2009-2011). On 5 May 2019 he married Ira Tzourou on Samos. He is described as an "outspoken Atheist."

Controversies

Nişanyan has been constantly under criticism for his controversial comments and behaviour on various topics. The earlier of those critiques relate to his commentary on a sexual abuse case, hence he was criticized for justifying sexual abuse and bullying.

He emptied a jar of his feces over his ex-wife Müjde Tonbekici, which resulted in widespread reaction and disgust from the public, calls to cancel his column on Agos newspaper was rejected by newspaper management.

After the 2020 Elazığ earthquake, Nişanyan tweeted that "Elazığ is the most bigoted, ignorant, most paranoid, and sexually obsessed city of Turkey where material and spiritual rape culture prevails. The city is based on a seized property, and is a prison of denied identities."

Books

  • Türkiye’nin Ermeni Coğrafyası (2024)
  • Kıyamet Kopmayınca Ne Olur? / Pazar Sohbetleri 5 (2023)
  • Dünyanın En Kötü Oteli Nerede? / Pazar Sohbetleri 4 (2023)
  • İnsanlar Nasıl Koyunlaştı? / Pazar Sohbetleri 3 (2023)
  • Evrende Kaç Yozgat Var? / Pazar Sohbetleri 2 (2023)
  • Gemici Henri Türkiye’yi Nasıl Batırdı? / Pazar Sohbetleri 1 (2023)
  • Türkiye Kişi Adları Sözlüğü (2021)
  • Cezaevi Yazıları (2021)
  • Halim İle Selim / Tanrılar ve Dinler Üzerine Bir Tartışma (2021)
  • Nişanyan Sözlük Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojisi (2020)
  • Türkiye Yer Adları Sözlüğü (2020)
  • Sürgün Yazıları (2020)
  • Swami Dayananda Saraswati’nin Kuran Eleştirisi (2019)
  • İyimser Zamanlar (2018)
  • Ağır Kitap (Heavy Book) - (2014)
  • Aslanlı Yol (Lion Road) - (2012) ISBN 9789756201701
  • Şirince Meydan Muharebelerinin Mufassal Tarihçesi (Detailed History of the Şirince Pitched Battles) - (2011)
  • Hocam, Allaha Peygambere Laf Etmek Caiz Midir? (Master, is it permissible to insult God and the Prophet?) - (2010)
  • Adını Unutan Ülke (The Country That Forgot Its Name) - (2010)
  • Kelimebaz 2 (Vocabularybase 2) - (2010)
  • Kelimebaz 1 (Vocabularybase 1) - (2009)
  • Yanlış Cumhuriyet / Atatürk ve Kemalizm Üzerine 51 Soru (The Wrong Republic / 51 Questions on Atatürk and Kemalism) - (2008) ISBN 975-9169-77-0
  • Eastern Turkey, A Travelers Handbook (2006)
  • Elifin Öküzü ya da Sürprizler Kitabı (Elif's Ox or The Book of Surprises) - (2002) ISBN 975-418-744-4
  • Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü (Genealogy of Words: Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Turkish) - (2002)
  • Black Sea, A Travelers’ Handbook (2000)
  • The Undiscovered Places of Turkey (2000)
  • The Little Hotel Book (1998/2008) ISBN 975-521-376-7
  • American Express Guide: Prague, Mitchell Beazley (1993)
  • American Express Guide: Vienna and Budapest, Mitchell Beazley (1992)
  • American Express Guide: Athens and the Classical Sites, Mitchell Beazley (1991)
  • Travels Bugs Turkey (1992)
  • Karl Marx: Grundrisse, Ekonomi Politiğin Eleştirisi için Ön Çalışma (Karl Marx: Grundrisse, Preliminary Study for the Critique of Political Economy) - (1980)
  • Ankara'nın Doğusundaki Türkiye (Turkey to the East of Ankara) - (2006) ISBN 975-23-0196-7
  • Herkesin Bilmediği Olağanüstü Yerler (Extraordinary Places Not Everyone Knows) - (2000) ISBN 975-521-377-5
  • Mavi Kıyılarda Yeme İçme Sanatı (The Art of Eating and Drinking on the Blue Shores) - (1998) ISBN 975-7143-23-5
  • 100 Güzel Kelime (100 Beautiful Words) - (2016)
  • Halim ile Selim (Halim and Selim) - (2018)
  • İyimser Zamanlar (Optimistic Times) - (2018)

References

  1. "Jailed Turkish-Armenian writer Sevan Nişanyan announces his escape from prison on Twitter - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  2. "Getting off the train". The Economist.
  3. "Sevan Nisanyan a fui la Turquie : "Je crois que le gouvernement est heureux de me voir partir"" [Sevan Nisanyan has escaped from Turkey: "I believe the government is happy to see me gone"]. Christophe Lamfalussy for La Libre. 25 July 2017.
  4. Scott, Alev (2018-03-30). "The agonies of writing from exile". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  5. "Greece reportedly declared Turkish-Armenian intellectual Sevan Nisanyan 'persona non grata'". Panorama.am. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  6. "Σεβάν Νισανιάν: Ανατροπή στην υπόθεση του Αρμένιου διανοούμενου". athensvoice.gr. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. "Υπόθεση Νισανιάν: Ελεύθερος ο αρμένιος-τούρκος". athensvoice.gr. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  8. "Sevan Nisanyan to be released: Court orders Istanbul-Armenian scholar to leave Greece voluntarily". armenpress.am. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
  9. "Châteaux & Hôtels Collection : Hôtels de charme et tables gourmandes". www.chateauxhotels.com.
  10. "Nişanyan Hotel". nisanyan.com.
  11. Ahmet Tulgar, Interview with Sevan Nişanyan, published in Milliyet newspaper, 23 December 2002.
  12. "Nişanyan - Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük". nisanyansozluk.com.
  13. "2015 should be declared a year of support to Sevan Nisanyan: Hatspanian". 19 January 2015.
  14. "Nişanyan Yeradları". nisanyanyeradlari.com.
  15. "Detained author in Turkey escapes from prison and tweets: 'The bird has flown away.'". BirGün. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  16. Sevan Nişanyan (8 May 2019). "5 Mayıs Pazar günü Pagondas köyünde İra Tzourou ile evlendim. Törene katılan, iyi dileklerini ileten herkese binlerce teşekkür." [I married Ira Tzourou in the village of Pagondas on Sunday, May 5th. Thousands of thanks to everyone who attended the ceremony and expressed their best wishes.].
  17. "Politics: Getting off the train". The Economist. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  18. "Sevan Nişanyan, 'Tecavüzcülerin çoğu, büluğ çağında yolunu kaybetmiş âşıklardır' diye yazabilirken ne düşündü?". T24 (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  19. "Sevan Nişanyan, cinsel tacizciliğin manifestosunu yazdı: Size vereceği zarar nedir!". T24 (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  20. "Bianet :: Agos'tan Sevan Nişanyan Açıklaması". 2008-12-04. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  21. "Yurtdışına kaçan Sevan Nişanyan: Elazığ Türkiye'nin tecavüz kültürü en gelişkin kenti - Tele1". tele1.com.tr. Archived from the original on 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  22. Nişanyan, Sevan (January 25, 2020). "Twitter". Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  23. "Dilbilimci Nişanyan: Elazığ Türkiye'nin tecavüz kültürü en gelişkin kentidir, çocuklara yazık tabii, onlar suçsuz". Independent Türkçe (in Turkish). 2020-01-25. Archived from the original on 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2020-01-25.

External links

Categories:
Sevan Nişanyan: Difference between revisions Add topic