Global Voices (Netherlands) (05/31/22) Geybullayeva, Arzu

Concerts banned in Turkey are sparking criticism against the ruling Justice and Development Party for imposing conservative restrictions on citizens and the arts. The recent cancellation of a performance by Spanish violin virtuoso Ara Malikian provoked suspicion that it was due to his Armenian heritage. Meanwhile, on May 25 the Middle East Technical University rectorate canceled the university's 34th International Spring Festival, reportedly to honor Turkish army personnel killed in the Operation Claw-Lock "anti-terror" operation in Iraq. That same day, the city of Bursa's Governor's office cited public safety in its decision to cancel the upcoming concert of Kurdish artist Mem Ararat, although some citizens believe the real reason is ongoing anti-Kurdish sentiment. Other concerts have reportedly been canceled on the grounds that the artists do not share the same values, convictions, or beliefs of the Turkish municipalities. Last summer, as plans were announced to lift COVID-19 restrictions, the government imposed new limits on all music events, requiring them to end by midnight. Anthropologist and journalist Ayse Cavdar remarked that the bans are a "form of symbolic violence" designed to suppress gathering.

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