Halil Gür

Halil Gür (born 1951) is a Dutch author of Turkish extraction, and is important as one of the first Turkish immigrants to write about the Netherlands. His short stories focus mainly on the problems of migrant experiences, particularly in the context of the Dutch Gastarbeiter program. Gür declares himself to a Marxist analysis of these problems, and his writings have a propagandistic element. They have been criticised for exaggeratedly sentimental portrayals of ethnic minorities as hapless victims, but have also received acclaim for drawing attention to social problems hitherto neglected. At a time when Dutch society was widely regarded as one of the most liberal and tolerant in Europe, Gür sought to expose racism and discrimination.

References

*Graeme Dunphy, "Migrant, Emigrant, Immigrant: Recent Developments in Turkish-Dutch Literature", "Neophilologus", 85 (2001) 1-23.