Turkish author says travel authorization never arrived ahead of Canadian tour

Dissident Turkish author Ece Temelkuran says she was unable to obtain authorization to enter Canada for a book tour due to begin Saturday, with stops planned in Calgary and Vancouver. The Globe and Mail

Temelkuran told the Globe she was supposed to travel to Canada but was not issued travel authorization. She holds citizenship of a European Union country, whose citizens normally need only an Electronic Travel Authorization, an advance clearance for visa-exempt air travel to Canada. She said she expected that authorization within 72 hours, but it never arrived.

Canadian authorities then sent her a follow-up message asking whether she had answered truthfully whether she had been denied entry by any country. Temelkuran said she has never been denied entry by any country.

Calgary's Wordfest said Temelkuran is unable to join because of unexpected delays in receiving her Canadian travel authorization. Vancouver Writers Fest said she is unable to join in person because of a visa delay and will make a virtual appearance instead for one scheduled talk.

The Vancouver festival listing describes an event featuring Temelkuran on Oct. 23 at 10 a.m., free to attend in person and online. Vancouver Writers Fest

Temelkuran left Turkey in 2016 after a failed military coup attempt and now lives mainly in Berlin. She wrote the 2019 book How to Lose a Country and was scheduled in Canada to discuss her latest book, Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to travel to Turkey next week to deepen ties with the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The trip to Ankara and Istanbul is scheduled for Oct. 21 to 24. Prime Minister's Office