Turkish Exile Author Barbaros Altuğ on Queer Crackdown and New Novel

In mid-September, Turkish police conducted dozens of raids and arrests targeting the queer community, affecting writer Barbaros Altuğ just days before his German-language novel "Die dunkelste Nacht eines langen Winters" was released. Altuğ, a 54-year-old gay author who left Turkey shortly after the 2016 coup attempt, describes himself as an exile. The novel, he says, depicts exactly this kind of violence. In an interview with Der Freitag in Berlin, Altuğ became emotional when discussing his former homeland, yet remains optimistic about his new life. The conversation, conducted over coffee, touches on the recent events and his personal experience. The article notes that the Turkish state's actions against the queer community are part of a broader crackdown. Altuğ's novel was published in German just days after the raids. The interview was published by Der Freitag, authored by Özge İnan. The full text is available at the source URL.