Govt restores citizenship of famed poet Nazim Hikmet

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said that the Cabinet had restored the citizenship of renowned Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, overturning a Cold War-era 1951 decision that stripped Hikmet of his nationality due to his leftist views. Hikmet died in exile in Moscow in 1963, but his works are still being read worldwide. Cicek said, "We think we did the right thing," adding that the poet's family would decide whether to ship Hikmet's remains from Russia back to his homeland. Political parties in Parliament and writers alike praised the decision. Considered by many to be a key figure in Turkish poetry and culture over the past century and one of Turkey's first modern poets, Hikmet's works have been translated into more than 50 languages. His rich use of free verse earned him the esteem of artists, intellectuals and champions of free expression.

Israel must halt the use of disproportionate force in the Middle East for humanitarian reasons, said the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) yesterday. In a statement, TUSIAD condemned Israel's use of disproportionate force against innocent civilians, and praised Turkey's diplomatic efforts to halt Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip. It added that the US and European Union should take the initiative to end the violence by Israel.