Musicians of Dersim: Detention, Imprisonment, Exile...

Click to read the article in Turkish

Dozens of musicians from Turkey's southeastern Dersim province, which is predominantly populated by Kurds and Alevis, had to immigrate to Europe because of oppression in the 1990s. Their concerts were canceled, albums were pulled off shelves and they were detained after concerts.

Ali Asker, Mikail Aslan, Ali Baran, Metin Kahraman, Kemal Kahraman and Yılmaz Çelik are just a few of the artists from Dersim who immigrated from Turkey.

Since last year, the musicians of Dersim have been on the target again as many of them have been detained and sent to prison.

It is not, according to Mikail Aslan and Ferhat Tunç, two musicians from Dersim.

Aslan: Artist is the one who talks about the problems of society

"I was summoned to Dersim Prosecutor's Office to give a statement because of the speeches I made at the Dersim Festival. A file that was written by an examination of my social media accounts was shown to me. Photographs of the interviews and concerts I gave were put in the file and it was written that 'a criminal act could not be identified.' They recorded whatever we said.

"The artists are responsible for expressing the sensitivities, concerns and problems of their societies. They consider my greetings to the arrested co-mayors as a crime.

"These detentions and arrests are not a coincidence, and they do not want to leave outside any dissident artist, politician or any other person who can speak out. The reason we were sent into exile in the 90s was the art we did, and the reason we are exposed to oppression today is the art we do.

" No politician can give what artists can give to society. They want to break our connection with the people of Dersim. Art is the only area where our culture can breathe. They want to destroy it. They want to prevent the mother tongue, cultural values ​​from reaching the public through art."

Tunç: The state's business with Dersim is not finished yet

"It is not a coincidence that artists from Dersim are targeted. Because those artists are singing in their mother tongue. Because those artists are sensitive to the attacks against the history and nature of Dersim. Especially when it comes to Dersim, it is seen that the AKP-MHP alliance and the nationalists become partners. Their business with Dersim is not finished.

"After seeing the indictment written about the artist Şenol Akdağ, it is likely to understand why they go towards the artists from Dersim. It is possible to arrest all the artists of Dersim with the indictment created about Şenol Akdağ based on the statement by a confessor."

The new wave of oppression

A new chapter of detention and imprisonment against the musicians of Dersim began last year when Onur Yanardağ, the vocalist of Grup Munzur was remanded in custody.

Yılmaz Çelik, who has made 10 albums in Zaza language and Turkish in over 30 years and has been living in Switzerland for 38 years, was detained on December 8, after his concert in Dersim. He was remanded in custody on December 10 over "membership of a terrorist organization."

Şenol Akdağ was detained on November 19 and remanded in custody on November 22 on the charge of "membership of a terrorist organization." He is facing five to 10 years in prison for "giving a concert under the flag of the terrorist organization."

Mikail Aslan, who left Turkey in 1994 and returned to the country in 2006, was summoned to give a statement because of "terrorism-related" charges.

Ferhat Tunç has been in Europe for eight months after several criminal cases against him. (RT/VK)