PM Erdoğan's Trial against "Beyoğlu Troupe" Started

The trial against 16 members of the Beyoğlu Troupe of Actors filed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started on 21 January. The group of acting university students is charged with "insult". The case heard before the Çatalca (Istanbul) Magistrate Criminal Court was adjourned because "the CD with the footage had not reached the prosecutor".

The students on trial were supported at the first hearing by about 100 people, among them artist Pınar Sağ, theatre clubs from several universities and other students.

Selim Güçbilmez, District Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), was heard as a witness. It was Güçbilmez who initially reported the Beyoğlu Troupe to the police.

He stated, "I did not listen to the song. I was informed about it by somebody else and heard about the booing afterwards". The prosecutor had previously decided to drop procedures regarding the alleged "booing" against the Prime Minister.

The trial was postponed to 25 March since the students were not able to attend the Friday hearing because of exams. Moreover, the "CD" with the records of the utterances subject to the complaint has not been received by the prosecutor yet.

The signature campaign "Support for the Beyoğlu Troupe" has already been joined by dozens of actors.

Expression "Street vendor Tayyip" reason for complaint

The legal procedures started upon the performance of the Beyoğlu Troupe at the "Judas Tree Festival" organized by the Municipality of Çatalca in July 2010. After the performance, Güçbilmez went backstage and apparently threatened the actors.

Güçbilmez initiated that group members and supporters were taken into custody without a legal basis. 25 people gave their statement to the Çatalca Prosecution upon the complaint. A trial was launched against 16 members of the troupe.

One of the characters in the play "From our country" performed a song entitled "The Tayyip Blues". The lyrics of the song were taken as a reason for the criminal complaint.

The Beyoğlu Troupe of Actors

The artists group of the Beyoğlu Troupe was established in 2007 by students from different universities who were amateur artists and active in music groups. Under the headings of current poltical affairs, they "present a theatrical approach from a leftist perspective".

They wrote the play "Eleven streets" which they performed several times. Their recent plays "From our country" and "Blinding" focus more on the musical development of the group. They performed the plays at various occasions. (EÇ/EÖ/VK)