Cenk Enes Ozer left Turkey in 2016 after his books were banned in schools, libraries, and bookstores all over the country.

Initially moving to the United States in search of a fresh life, Ozer didn’t know if he’ll ever write again. Four months later, he moved to Canada.

He fixed phones, did construction jobs, and even took cleaning jobs just so he and his family could survive.  

Nine years later, Ozer has just released his first English novel, When the Devil Loves. 

He says it’s his “special way to give something back to this beautiful country and its beautiful people.”

Ozer joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Edition host Craig Norris to speak about why his books were banned in his home country, as well as his reason for writing his first English novel.

Audio of this interview appears at the bottom of this page. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Craig Norris: I want to start with your life back in Turkey. What sort of books were you writing?

Cenk Enes Ozer: First of all, my books were in the fantasy fiction genre. It’s so important to say that because I had never written anything in politics or even related to politics.

Craig Norris: So they were all fantasy, fiction.

Cenk Enes Ozer: Fantasy, fiction, that’s all – just stories. I was a kind of famous author there at that time. 

However, in [July 2016) everything was just taken away overnight. People are asking, of course, why? As I said, I’m not [into] politics, but [from] what I can see, I think President Erdogan decided to turn his face from democracy to somewhere else. To do that, he had to silence all his opponents. He started with shutting down newspapers, news channels, and later on publishing houses, including mine. 

In a single night, all my books were pulled off shelves, banned in schools, libraries, bookstores. It was a kind of crime if you have my books on your shelf. 

WATCH| ‘My books were erased’: Turkish author writes first English-language novel after moving to Cambridge:

‘My books were erased’: Turkish author writes first English-language novel after moving to Cambridge

When Turkish author Cenk Enes Ozer’s books were taken off shelves and banned, he fled to Canada out of fear of repercussions from the government. A once celebrated author, Ozer found he no longer had a voice after moving to a new country with a new language he didn’t speak. Nine years later, Cenk has just released his first English novel, When The Devil Loves. He spoke to CBC K-W’s Aastha Shetty about life in Turkey and his new book.

Craig Norris: What was the reason given for that?

Cenk Enes Ozer: The only reason is that [my books have the] publishing house logo on the cover. These publishers… they are working with some other journalists. Unfortunately, they are my colleagues at the same time, and were sent to prison. I’m so sorry for them. 

One day, I had to put my own books with some others in the fire. Believe me, I did this, and left the country.

Craig Norris: How did you get your books with the publishing house?

Cenk Enes Ozer: Everything started all [by] myself. I just started to publish my own books first. I think it was four books already [that] I had. 

Later on, a publisher house… they offered me to sign a contract. Before leaving Turkey on that day, I had a very nice, new contract with a new publisher, but nothing happened unfortunately.

Craig Norris: You work so hard for so long. The first four books are self published. You want to sell your books only to see them taken off shelves and that actually burned. How did that make you feel?

Cenk Enes Ozer: It’s so hard to explain. They are your own books, your name is on the cover, believe me. And you need to accept that sometimes to survive. 

I can’t put myself [first] that time. I couldn’t endanger all my family at the same time, that’s why [I decided to leave]. There was no other way actually for me. I left with almost nothing to start a new life. 

Actually in the first four months, I still had hope that maybe everything was going to change, and I will go back. But after four months, in November 2016, from the United States to Canada, I came and I said no, there is no way to go back. It’s impossible.

Craig Norris: So in 2016, you went from Turkey to the U.S., and then you moved to Canada. What was that experience like coming to Canada? I guess you didn’t have the time to write anymore, did you?

Cenk Enes Ozer: Survival came first that time. My first jobs in Canada were not so glamourous. I don’t want to offend anyone, but fixing cell phones, sweeping the floors on night shifts in factories, or going to construction were all of them so far from my past. I had to do it. 

The entry level of construction, as you know, is unfortunately so low. You don’t need to know English or any specific skills if you are a helper. All that mattered was can you lift, can you carry, can you keep going? And I said yes, I can. 

So I did. Day after day, year after year. Thank God, eventually I learned carpentry. Carpentry saved my life and my family. So of course, it’s so important for me.

Craig Norris: Carpentry… that’s also a creative outlet, don’t you think?

Cenk Enes Ozer: My area, not too much. Its name is production carpentry because of door installation, trim installation. You don’t need to be so creative, you need to follow some strict rules.

Craig Norris: Let’s get to the good parts, though. You’ve since found your voice again… in a new language. What was it like to write in English? How’s it been for you?

Cenk Enes Ozer: It was not easy. Still, it’s not. Writing in English especially came from the idea of giving back. It was so important for me. That was the only motivation behind it. 

When the people in Turkey pushed me away and forced me to leave my country, the people in Canada opened their arms and they hugged me warmly. They gave me a home. They taught me a new language. They gave me a chance to survive and save my family. Of course, as a result, I felt it myself, so much grateful. I can’t explain how much.

Craig Norris: Is that why you don’t write in Turkish?

Cenk Enes Ozer: There is no point [in writing] in Turkish because I don’t think that still someone can take the book and read it. To give something back to this community was the main idea. 

I was looking for that opportunity. I will never forget when I got my first driver’s license, I found that opportunity. Inside that envelope, there was an option to become an organ donor and I signed it right away without a second thought. I remember that day I said finally, now I have something to give because I had nothing else in that time. 

After nine years now writing something in English, publishing a book in Canada, maybe someday, somewhere getting titled as a Canadian author, it would be a very huge honor for me. It’s my special way to give something back to this beautiful country and its beautiful people.

Craig Norris: Let’s talk about your first English book. Tell us about When the Devil Loves.

Cenk Enes Ozer: When the Devil Loves… on the back cover of the book, it’s written so important to me. He wasn’t cast out, he walked away. And I see some similarity in this story. 

This is not a fallen angel story. Azâzil is a jinn made of fire with free will, created by Zaur. Zaur is the creator in this story. Azâzil [is] torn between defiance and devotion. Finally, he learns that love can burn, maybe fiercer than rebellion. Most importantly, exile can be more honest than paradise. 

This part was so important for me because while leaving my country, I carried that same weight. I felt the same thing. I asked myself, maybe I could have found a chance, I don’t know, to stay [in Turkey], but at what cost? By cheering cruelty? By calling wrong right? By staying silent in the face of corruption? By bowing to power and forcing a fake smile [under] oppression? 

I don’t know. I said let the tears I shed at night [that] no one knows, and the sweat every single day I’m pouring on construction sites, bear witness… believe me, exile is more honest and more honourable than their paradise.

Craig Norris: Your books in Turkey, as you said, were not political. Do you think, in a way now, When the Devil Loves is slightly political, even in its undertones?

Cenk Enes Ozer: Undertones, still it’s not actually, believe me. It’s totally life experiences because according to my knowledge and some research, Azâzil, [even] with this name… it’s not fallen angel Lucifer.

I had some similar experiences in [my] life. I was trying to explain the situation from [Azâzil’s] perspective. At the same time, it was important for me because while doing this, I was trying to explore the idea that we can’t simply blame [all our] sins on a single external force. 

We need to take responsibility for our own actions because if you read his story from his perspective, [there’s] no point to blame him… We are responsible [for] all our actions.

Craig Norris: What’s next for you? Are you going to continue to write?

Cenk Enes Ozer: First, honestly, I need to get some feedback [until] I am totally satisfied with the first one. When the Devil Loves… is book one of the Unseen Order series. I have a trilogy… [that’s] the idea on my mind. 

I will do my best to make it very clear, and later on, I will continue with another two books, hopefully.

LISTEN | Turkish author living in Cambridge finds voice again:

The Morning Edition – K-W10:27Turkish author living in Cambridge finds voice again

A successful Turkish author whose books were wiped from shelves in his home country, essentially silencing him, has found his voice again. Cenk Enes Ozer talks about his journey to Canada and his first English novel.