I Will Never See the World Again

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I followed a policeman into the hallway, dragging my feet in my laceless shoes. He opened an iron door and we entered a narrow corridor where an oppressive heat grasped you like the claws of

Ceea ce are importanță este conștiința faptului că dincolo de pereții celulei mai există oameni cărora le poți semnala propria ta existența" (Pag.205) In the dim light of the cell I could see his figure – a dark shadow – prostrating himself on the rug. speaks for itself with such clarity, certainty and wisdom that only one thing needs to be said: read it. And then read it again." - The Guardian The book is very moving and I read the first sections with sadness and anger. However, as I read further, my feelings turned into one of disbelief that the author omitted critical parts of his life prior to his imprisonment, that there was not a drop of regret or remorse for his share of what's going on today. It is quite something that the author is painting a picture in which he was a journalist critical of the government and sent to jail for that reason, whereas the truth is he for long years had cosy relationship with the government and was the editor of a newspaper which targeted and wrongly accused many people who in result were thrown to the dungeons of this brutal regime. The reason Ahmet Altan is in prison is not because he's a dissident journalist, but because he is no longer of any use to the "supreme leader". This book is both chilling and heartening, a message from a parallel universe not as distant as we might think. With humour, passion and remarkable equanimity Altan reminds the reader of what, and who, is at risk. And what is worth fighting for. In 2018, after two years of detention, Ahmet Altan and his brother Mehmet were sentenced to life imprisonment. It is a dark time for Turkey and for Altan, but as he notes at the end of this fortifying book: “I can write even in the dark.”

He was fired from Milliyet after writing a column on 17 April 1995 titled "Atakurd", which presented an alternate history of Turkey. Later in the book, his cellmate shares a story with him about a happy episode that happened in his life 10 years ago on a snowy day. Altan envelops himself in the other man’s story, imagining the snow landing on his face. He transports himself outside the prison walls.

I realized once more that when you are faced with a reality that can turn your life upside down, that same sorry reality will sweep you away like a wild flood only if you submit and act as it expects. I promised Zhang’s family that I would take him to the summit safe and sound,” says Qiangzi. “I couldn’t accompany him there, but at least this decision ensured his safety.” Each cell in the prison has a stone courtyard in front of it that is six steps long and four steps wide, with an iron drain in the middle for rainwater.Qiangzi used this time to prepare Zhang as best he could for the task ahead. Because of his blindness, Zhang had no way of anticipating danger in the Himalayas, where the terrain is always changing and icefalls can occur at any moment. The guide made sure his charge understood that his previous training would count for little once the expedition began.