I have hired a bodyguard, on the recommendation of my friends and the government. It's outrageous, having to live like this.

More than anything I am a novelist. But for me, an author's job is not only to create linguistically accomplished works. As an author I also want to stimulate discussion.

East and West are coming together. Whether in peace or anarchy - they are coming together. There needn't be a clash between East and West, between Islam and Europe.

I see Turkey's future as being in Europe, as one of many prosperous, tolerant, democratic countries.

Actually, it's the other way round. In a poor country, the only consolation people can have is the one that comes from their beliefs.

Oscar Wilde always makes me smile - with respect and admiration. His short stories prove that it is possible to be both sarcastic, even cynical, but deeply compassionate. Just seeing the cover of one of Wildes books in a bookshop makes me smile.

To savour Istanbul's back streets, to appreciate the vines and trees that endow its ruins with accidental grace, you must, first and foremost, be a stranger to them.