ISTANBUL, Turkey – Spring is in full swing in Turkey, and the pleasant weather is bringing with it a flurry of concerts and outdoor festivals.
But a series of events have been cancelled in cities and districts controlled by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in recent weeks, with critics and analysts accusing the government of trying to wage a “culture war” ahead of next year’s general election.
The first widely reported cancellation came on May 9, when the governor of Eskisehir province in central Anatolia banned all outdoor events for 15 days, citing “terrorist groups preparing for demonstrations.” Eskisehir is known as a vibrant student town with a great nightlife, and the municipality is run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), but like all provincial governors in Turkey, he is appointed by the president.
The ban effectively cancelled a major festival featuring some of the country’s most popular singers that was scheduled to take place in Eskisehir from May 12-15.
On the other hand, a concert by Ainur Dogan, a representative Kurdish singer, in Kocaeli province on May 20th was canceled due to the “inappropriateness of the event,” and Mr. Koyuncu, who is known as an anti-government activist, Folk musician Niyazi Koyuncu’s concert scheduled for May 25 in Istanbul’s Pendik district was banned for not sharing “judgments and views.”
A concert by rising singer Melek Mosso scheduled for June 3rd at a festival in the western city of Isparta has been canceled after two youth organizations say Mosso is “promoting immorality”. It was canceled by the local government after they issued a statement that they had requested. Another Kurdish singer, Mem Ararat, had a concert in Bursa canceled by the state government citing “public safety” reasons.
“The cancellation of the Kurdish singer’s concert is linked to the recent rise in nationalist, anti-Kurdish and xenophobic tendencies that are evident in much of the AKP’s rhetoric and policies. This is linked to the AKP’s growing stance against discrimination and racism towards Kurds in many parts of its rhetoric and policies. [far-right] MHP – But the general idea of taking up pop music as a battleground is shocking in a country that has generally viewed pop music as a non-political space,” James Ryan, associate director of New York University’s Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, told Al Jazeera.
“Watching Eurovision, [doyenne singer] Sezen Axe, Watch [the popular contest show] Oh, I’m sure there were at least some AKP voters who had tickets to concerts by Seth Tolkier, Dogan, Ararat, Koyuncu, Mosso, etc.,” Ryan added.
The Communications Directorate did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
But Hilal Kaplan, a journalist and columnist for the pro-government Sabah newspaper, said the two organisations that called for the cancellation of Mosso’s concert in Isparta were actually linked to the Felicity (Saadet) party, one of six opposition parties in a governing coalition alongside the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
“The Saadet Party positions itself in a more religious and reflexive position than the AK Party. Moreover, after the cancellation of Melek Mosso’s concert in Isparta, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that Melek Mosso will be in Istanbul. “Thus, by organizing a concert for her in Istanbul, the government has created a sphere of influence much larger than that of a small city in Anatolia,” she told Al Jazeera. told.
“It would therefore be misleading to ignore these facts and claim that the event was canceled by the government.”
Meanwhile, spring festivals are held at many universities across the country, but live music at the gatherings at Middle East Technical University in the capital, Ankara, and Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul have been canceled this year. Officially, this is because three Turkish soldiers were killed in a recent assault. A military operation targeting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Both universities are led by presidents appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“It’s hard to know the exact motivation behind it. [all] These cancellations are even more alarming, but I think it’s related to the election climate we’re in,” said James Hakan Dedeoglu, publisher of the independent music magazine Banto and a longtime player in Istanbul’s music scene, booking and promoting concerts.
“It seems to me that this is a way for government forces to demonstrate that they can do whatever they want, especially when it comes to catering to the demands and wishes of conservative people. And especially in the current dire economic downturn, they are… We need to unite voters,” he told Al Jazeera.
Other analysts said the cancellation was likely due to the pre-election strategy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose general and presidential elections are scheduled to take place in June 2023. I agree with that view.
“With economic growth slowing, inflation approaching triple digits, the highest since Erdogan took office, and other economic indicators not looking very good, I think Erdogan will further strengthen the culture war aspect of his brand. ” Sonar Chagaptai, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Al Jazeera.
The government has staunchly defended its economic performance and controversial interest rate policy, arguing that low interest rates curb inflation and boost economic growth, exports and employment. President Erdoğan also said in a statement on June 6 that Turkey is not strictly facing an issue of inflation, but rather a problem of rising costs of living.
Others argue that the cancellations have nothing to do with top-down policies from the ruling party.
“The decision to cancel concerts and festivals is never a government decision but a personal decision made by provincial and district administrators, mayors, governors and district governors,” Turay Demir, a journalist and columnist at Daily Sabah, told Al Jazeera.
“This is clearly not government policy. The opposition is portraying it as if it is government policy.”
But for music publisher and promoter Dedeoglu, the wave of cancellations is a real concern.
“[It’s] Horrible and systematic acts carried out by the government. And even if this is a temporary and foolish political act, its harm to society will be long-lasting. ”
Ironically, the concert ban and subsequent riots probably triggered something like the Streisand effect, where attempts to suppress something only attract more attention. While Melek Mosso continues to perform in front of large audiences across the country, Ainur Dogan performed in front of a packed audience on May 28th at one of Istanbul’s premier outdoor venues, Cemil Topzur Open Air Theatre. He sang Kurdish songs in front of thousands of fans.
“It was like a dream. My heart was pounding with excitement and I felt like I had been struck by lightning,” Dogan wrote in a heartfelt tweet with a photo from the performance in Istanbul. It goes to show that it’s difficult to silence music that has a passionate audience.
“At that moment, all the beautiful words that were uttered lost their meaning. Your eyes and face were more beautiful than a thousand roses, and you became a thousand hearts.”
I am a Muslim, I am a Muslim. … @gergedanyapim ve @bgstorg Binrache Kez Tesheklarah pic.twitter.com/3SNvUVcnWy
— Ainur Dogan (@aynurdogan) May 29, 2022
