Festival bans in Turkey
The festival bans, which started with the cancellation of Anadolu Fest, affected the society as more and more similar events banned by governors and district governors.[1]
On May 9, 2022, Governor of Eskişehir announced that all events, including concerts, festivals and celebrations, between 10 and 24 May 2022 were banned. Ban of the Anadolu Fest event, which was held between these dates, created reactions in the society.[2] The rationale for the ban was stated as "to ensure a peaceful environment, public order and public security, to prevent crime, to protect the rights and freedoms of others, and to prevent the spread of violent incidents."[3] On May 25, 2022, Melek Mosso's future concert at the "Isparta Gül Festivali" was canceled by the governor, due to pressure from conservative associations.[4][5][6] Then, on August 10, 2022, the Burhaniye governorate banned the Zeytinli Rock Festival.[7] The bans were criticized by opposition parties, artists, and the public for being "the result of political decisions."[8][9]
Background
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The measures of pandemic COVID -19 included a nighttime ban on music broadcasts in Turkey.[10] The ban on music was maintained even after the pandemic ended and met with resistance from artists, politicians, business owners, and the public.[11] In 2022, after a series of event cancellations, it was suspected that political reasons, influenced by political Islam, were behind these bans and cancellations.[12] The Governor of Eskişehir banned mass events for 15 days and the Anadolu Fest was canceled, while the ESTU Cultural Fest organized by the Eskişehir Technical University was not banned.[13] The Muedafaa-i İslam movement (Müdafaa-i İslam Hareketi), which had previously filed a complaint calling for LGBTI+ events to be stopped by shaping public opinion, shared the decisions to ban music festivals on its social media accounts as a success.[14] Journalist Erdal Atabek said the reason for the bans was that the Justice and Development Party wanted to win the support of sects and communities.[15] According to a BBC News Turkish report, the reason given for some of the canceled concerts was that "local authorities do not approve of the artist's profile."[16]
Reactions
Party leaders, artists and professional associations reacted to the bans. After the cancellation of Greek violinist Apolas Lermi's concert in Trabzon, Turkey Musical Works Owners Professional Union (MESAM) President Recep Erguel criticized the situation: "These bans are unacceptable."[17] After the ban on the Zeytinli Rock Festival, Güneş Duru, guitarist of the band Redd, stated that the reason for the ban was "ideological and interferes with the way of life."[18] After the MilyonFest Fethiye festival was canceled by Governor of Muğla, Republican People's Party chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the bans in a tweet.[19] Aylin Aslım, one of the artists who will participate in the MilyonFest event, called this decision "shameful."[20] Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca responded to the governorate's MilyonFest decision by saying, "The concerts of people close to them will not be canceled."[21] According to the Republican People's Party's Eskişehir MP Utku Çakırözer, there was no concrete justification for the decisions that led to the bans.[22] Organizers also reacted to the bans on the canceled concerts and festivals.[23]
Aftermath
In response to Republican People's Party chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's criticism of the festival bans, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu tweeted, "The state will not allow an organization that wants to organize a series of frauds illegally under the name of festival."[24] Following the public outcry after the banned events, one person known to be close to the Mudafaa-i Islam movement tweeted to rally support for the cancellation of the Fanta Youth Festival.[25] Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, stated on the NTV television program "Seda Öğretir ile Özel Röportaj" that "the fewer restrictions, limitations and cancelations, the better for us" and suggested that organizers of canceled events should turn to the judiciary.[26]
Banned events
# | Event | City | Authority announcing the decision | Cite |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Anadolu Fest | Eskişehir | Governor of Eskişehir | [27] |
2 | Niyazi Koyuncu concert | İstanbul | Pendik Municipality | [28] |
3 | Apolas Lermi concert | Denizli | Pamukkale Municipality | [29] |
4 | Ara Malikian concert | Ankara | Ministry of Culture and Tourism | [30] |
5 | Munzur Kültür ve Doğa Festivali | Tunceli | Governor of Turnceli | [31] |
6 | Kozlu Müzik Festivali | Zonguldak | Governor of Zonguldak | [32] |
7 | Kazdağı Ekoloji Festivali | Balıkesir | Governor of Balıkesir | [33] |
8 | Mirae concert | Ankara | Ministry of Culture and Tourism | [34] |
9 | METU International Spring Fest | Ankara | METU Rectorate | [35] |
10 | Aynur Doğan concerts | Kocaeli | Derince Municipality | [36] |
11 | Zeytinli Rock Festivali | Balıkesir | Burhaniye District Governorship | [37] |
12 | Metin & Kemal Kahraman concert | Muş | Governor of Muş | [38] |
13 | MilyonFest | Muğla | Governor of Eskişehir | [39] |
14 | Çağdaş Fest | Muğla | Fethiye District Governorship | [40] |
15 | Mohsen Namjoo | Various cities | Various governmental institutions | [41] |
References
- ^ "Turkey's latest attack on the arts: A provincial governor cancels a long-awaited music festival". Global Voices. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Yasaklanan festivaller ve kültürel hegemonya". birgun.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "The rationale for the ban".
- ^ "Turkey's banned musicians sing the blues in run-up to 2023 vote". France 24. 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Önce çağırıp sonra iptal ediyorlar: Melek Mosso konseri de iptal edildi". soL (in Turkish). 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Konser ve festival iptalleri: Eğlence sektöründe 'yok edilme' korkusu". euronews (in Turkish). 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Yasaklamaların son halkası: Zeytinli Rock Festivali – DW – 11.08.2022". dw.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Konser ve festival iptalleri: Eğlence sektöründe 'yok edilme' korkusu". euronews (in Turkish). 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Eskişehir'de Valilik tarafından yasaklanan festival 9-12 Haziran'a ertelendi". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Anadolu Fest yasağı yaşam tarzına müdahale mi? – DW – 10.05.2022". dw.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Türkiye'de Devam Eden Gece Müzik Yasağına Tepki". Amerika'nin Sesi | Voice of America - Turkish (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Dayanışma Meclisi: Festival iptallerine neden karşı çıkmalıyız?". soL (in Turkish). 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ Gazetesi, Evrensel. "Kültür muharebesinde yeni yasaklar - Nuray Sancar". Evrensel.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Gericiler, 'Milyonfest'in iptaline çok sevindi: 'İptal ettirdiğimiz 14. ahlaksız festival'". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Festival yasakları neyin işareti? 'AKP ve Erdoğan da elbette gerçekleri görecek'". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ External video source duration at 3:53
- ^ "Konser ve festival iptalleri: Eğlence sektöründe 'yok edilme' korkusu". euronews (in Turkish). 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Yasaklamaların son halkası: Zeytinli Rock Festivali – DW – 11.08.2022". dw.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "CHP lideri Kılıçdaroğlu'ndan festival ve konserlerin iptal edilmesine tepki: Öyle kafanıza göre yasaklayamazsınız". Son Dakika (in Turkish). 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Yasaklamaların son halkası: Zeytinli Rock Festivali – DW – 11.08.2022". dw.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ Özlen, Gizem (2022-08-23). "Yasakçı zihniyet yine işbaşında! Bir festival daha iptal edildi". Tele1 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Eskişehir'de Valilik tarafından yasaklanan festival 9-12 Haziran'a ertelendi". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Festival iptalleri muhafazakar seçmene bir mesaj mı? – DW – 24.08.2022". dw.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Soylu: Festival adı altında bir dizi sahtekarın yapmak istediği hiçbir organizasyona devlet izin vermez". birgun.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "İslamcı grubun hedefinde bu kez Fanta Gençlik Festivali var - Diken". www.diken.com.tr. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Bakan Ersoy'dan iptal edilen festivaller için 'yargıya gidin' çağrısı". www.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Valilik kararıyla iptal edilmişti: Anadolu Fest'in başka bir tarihe alınması da engellendi". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Pendik konseri iptal edilen Niyazi Koyuncu kimdir? Niyazi Koyuncu'nun konseri neden iptal edildi?". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ Gazetesi, Evrensel. "Denizli emek ve demokrasi güçleri: Hiçbir yasak halkların türkülerini susturamayacak". Evrensel.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Ara Malikian'ın Ankara'da vereceği konser iptal edildi". Agos (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ Gazetesi, Evrensel. "Munzur Kültür ve Doğa Festivali iptal edildi". Evrensel.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Zonguldak Valisi Tutulmaz'dan iptal edilen Kozlu Müzik Festivali hakkında açıklama: Alkol festivaliyse adı mevzuat buna müsaade etmiyor". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ Duvar, Gazete (2022-06-07). "Kazdağları'nda 'Ekofest'e izin çıkmadı: Gerekçe orman yangınları". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Bakanlık Düzenliyordu: K-Pop Grubu Mirae Konseri İptal Edildi". Onedio (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "ODTÜ'de konserler iptal edildi". birgun.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ Duvar, Gazete (2022-05-17). "Konseri iptal edilen sanatçı Aynur Doğan'dan açıklama: Bizler kum torbası değiliz". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Belediye başkanı duyurdu: Zeytinli'den sonra Milyon Fest de iptal edildi - Diken". www.diken.com.tr. 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Valilik, Metin-Kemal Kahraman'ın konserini iptal etti!". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Milyon Fest Fethiye iptal mi edildi? Milyon Fest Festivali neden iptal edildi? Milyonfest yapılmayacak mı? 2022 Milyonfest ne zaman?". www.timeturk.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Çağdaş Fest iptal edildi: "Yasak kararı, konsere 1 gün kala iletildi"". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "İslamcı grupların hedef aldığı Mohsen Namjoo'nun iki konseri iptal - Diken". www.diken.com.tr. 2022-09-17. Retrieved 2022-09-20.