Turkish author Ece Temelkuran, who was due to launch a cross‑Canada book tour this weekend, says she has not received the electronic travel authorisation required for her arrival, leaving her scheduled appearances in Calgary and Vancouver postponed.
Visa snag halts cross‑border book tour
Temelkuran told The Globe and Mail in a message that “Today I was supposed to travel to Canada but unfortunately I wasn’t issued” an authorization. She noted that, as a holder of a European Union passport, she normally only needs an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) when flying into Canada and had expected the clearance within 72 hours. The authorisation never arrived, and a follow‑up request last week asked whether she had “replied to the below question truthfully: Have you been denied entry by any country?” She replied that she had never been denied entry anywhere.
Because of the delay, Calgary’s Wordfest announced on its website that “Ece Temelkuran is unable to join us this year due to unexpected delays in receiving her Canadian travel authorization.” The Vancouver Writers Fest issued a similar statement, saying Ms. Temelkuran “is unfortunately no longer able to join us in‑person due to an unforeseen visa delay” and confirming she will instead appear virtually for one of her planned talks. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab’s office did not immediately respond to queries on Friday regarding the issue.
Author’s background and message to Canadian readers
Temelkuran left Turkey in 2016 after the failed coup attempt that the government blamed on a U.S.–based cleric, a period marked by a sweeping crackdown on media outlets and the jailing of journalists. She now lives mainly in Berlin and has built an international reputation with works such as her 2019 study *How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Facism*.
For the cancelled events she prepared a statement to be read by festival organisers. It begins, “Dear strangers in Canada,” and continues, “I’ve written a book declaring that we are all becoming homeless. That the world is unhoming all of us, one way or another, physically, politically, morally and spiritually.” She added, “We, the immigrants, exiles, refugees, and the homeless, are only the scouts of the human condition‑ moving only a bit ahead of the rest.”
Diplomatic backdrop: Canada‑Turkey ties and rights concerns
The travel difficulty coincides with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upcoming visit to Turkey next week, where he aims to deepen bilateral relations with the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Freedom House’s 2026 report described Erdogan’s rule as increasingly authoritarian over the past decade, citing the imprisonment of political opponents and independent journalists. The contrast between Canada’s outreach and the author’s barred entry highlights the tension between diplomatic engagement and concerns over human‑rights standards in Turkey.
Why it Matters
The refusal of Temelkuran’s travel authorisation not only silences a prominent voice on displacement and democratic backsliding but also raises questions about how Canada’s immigration procedures intersect with its foreign‑policy engagements. As the government seeks to strengthen ties with Ankara, the incident underscores the need for transparent, consistent application of entry rules—especially for individuals whose work critiques authoritarianism. The episode may prompt a closer look at whether procedural delays are being used, intentionally or not, to limit dissenting narratives from reaching Canadian audiences.
