ATHENS (Panorama.am) — The government of Greece on October 25 declared Turkish-Armenian author and intellectual Sevan Nisanyan “persona non grata.” Nisanyan had left Greece for a trip to Albania where he learnt about the decision of Greek authorities to ban him from entry to the country, Nisanyan told Ermenihaber news outlet.
In his words, the authorities have not disclosed the reason for the measure, citing it as a state secret.
“I assume my weekly publications are not welcomed by some circles in the Republic of Turkey and their concern has been conveyed to the Greek side,” Nisanyan said. Another reason behind the decision of Greece, according to Nisanyan, could be his recent publication in which he referred to Turkish toponyms of some of the historical sites in the territory of Greece.
In 2017 Nisanyan escaped from a Turkish prison after serving three years of a 17-year sentence for violations of a construction code. The Turkish authorities then issued a warrant for his arrest and listed him as a fugitive from the law. The government of Greece granted him a temporary residency permit.
