The French Ambassador in Ankara Laurent Bili presented Turkish novelist Elif Shafak with the "Order of Chivalry in Art and Literature" for her intellectual work serving freedom of thought, and contributions to inter-cultural dialogue and human rights, TRT English reported.
Speaking in a ceremony held at the French Palace, Ambassador Bili said that the "Order of Chivalry in Art and Literature" was a very special one given to those individuals who have made important contributions to art and literature in France and in other parts of the globe.
Elif Shafak said that the French "Order of Chivalry in Art and Literature" was highly valuable.
"Being a novelist is being alone. Awards received are a novelist's bridge to the outside world and give energy," Safak stressed.
Elif Shafak (born 1971, Strasbourg, France) is a Turkish writer who writes in both Turkish and English. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages.