German Turkish writer Akhanli passes away

German-Turkish writer Dogan Akhanli, whose work focused on the genocides of the 20th century and human rights, died after a short illness in Berlin on Sunday, a spokesperson for the German PEN Centre confirmed, reported dpa.

Akhanli had lived in Cologne for a long time and more recently in Berlin. He is to be buried in Cologne.

"As president, I mourn the loss of a member of German PEN, as a reader, I mourn the loss of a great writer, as a companion, I mourn the loss of a fighter for human rights, peace and coming to terms with the crimes against the Armenians," the current German PEN president, journalist and writer Deniz Yucel, wrote.

Akhanli was born in Turkey in 1957 and has lived as an author in Cologne since 1992.

He had previously been arrested several times in Turkey and had served two and a half years in the military prison in Istanbul from 1985.

In 2017, he was arrested during a holiday in Spain because the Turkish state had issued an international arrest warrant for him. However, Akhanli was able to return to Germany after two months.

PEN stands for Poets, Essayists, Novelists. "Originally founded in England in 1921, the association has established itself as an advocate for the free word and is considered the voice of persecuted and oppressed writers," the organization says on its website.