Statement of Support for Grup Yorum Music Band by 134 Intellectuals

"Grup Yorum on the 181st day of its indefinite hunger strike"

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134 politicians, journalists, writers and artists have expressed their support for hunger striking Grup Yorum music band members.

Listing the requests of group members in their statement, the signatories have underlined that Grup Yorum members have not abandoned music despite the oppression that they face:

'We cannot stay silent'

"We, as intellectuals, cannot stay silent in the face of Grup Yorum's indefinite hunger strike. Grup Yorum has paid a price for voicing the problems, sorrows and agonies of the people in their songs and protests for 34 years.

"They have been arrested based on anonymous witness statements after the State of Emergency, monetary rewards have been put on them, their names have been added to wanted lists, but they have not given up performing the art of the people.

"Almost all of their concerts have been banned since 2015, making them unable to perform their art. Its six members are currently behind bars and five imprisoned members have been on a hunger strike for over four months.

"The demands of hunger strikes are: End the raids against İdil Cultural Center; remove the ban on concerts; remove group members from terror lists; release the arrested group members; drop the charges against them.

"Dictated by our conscience, we put our signatures under these legitimate demands of Grup Yorum."

Statement signed by 134 people

The statement has been signed by the following 134 intellectuals:

Adnan Özyalçıner (Writer), Ahmet Şık (HDP İstanbul MP), Ahmet Telli (Poet), Akın Ok (Investigative Writer), Ali Asker (Musician), Ali Ekber Eren (Musician), Ali Ekber Kayış (Musician), Ali Şeker (CHP İstanbul MP), Alper Taş (Politician), Apolas Lermi (Musician), Arif Kabadayı (Musician), Ataol Behramoğlu (Poet/Writer), Atilla Meriç (Musician), Avni Sağlam (Musician), Ayçe Söylemez (Journalist), Aydın Engin (Journalist), Aydın Öztürk (Poet), Ayla Yılmaz (Musician), Ayşe Hür (Investigative Writer), Barbaros Şansal (Fashion Designer), Barış Atay (TİP Hatay MP), Barış Güney (Musician), Cahit Berkay (Musician), Can Dündar (Journalist), Cengiz Gündoğdu (Writer), Cenk Dostverdi (Theater Artist), Cenker Ekemen (Director), Cevdet Bağca (Musician), Cezmi Ersöz (Poet), Cihan Çelik (Musician), Çağatay Yağcı (Research Associate), Defne Halman (Cinema Artist), Dilek Dindar (Journalist), Ece Ataer (Writer), Edip Akbayram (Musician), Efkan Şeşen (Musician), Ekrem Ataer (Musician), Elvan San (Musician), Ercan Aydın (Musician), Erdal Bayrakoğlu (Musician), Erdal Erzincan (Musician), Erdoğan Emir (Musician), Erk Acarer (Journalist), Faruk Eren (Writer), Fatih Gezer (Musician), Fatih Yaşlı (Writer), Ferhan Şensoy (Theater Artist), Ferhat Tunç (Musician), Filiz Keresteci (HDP Ankara MP), Genco Erkal (Theater Artist), Gökhan Birben (Musician), Gökmen Yeşil (ÇHD İstanbul Branch Chair), Grup Munzur (Musician), Grup Praksis (Musician), Gül Şimşek (Musician), Haluk Çetin (Musician), Haluk Tolga İlhan (Musician), Hamit Demir (Theater Artist), Hasan Güneşdoğdu (Musician), Hayko Bağdat (Writer), Hayri Tunç (Journalist), Hikmet Akçiçek (Musician), Huriye Şahin (Writer), Hüda Kaya (HDP İstanbul MP), Hüseyin Deniz Aydın (Musician), Hüseyin Kurtulmaz (Musician), Hüseyin Turan (Musician), Hüsnü Arkan (Musician), İbrahim Karaca (Poet), İbrahim Rojhilat (Musician), İhsan Eliaçık (Writer), İlkay Akkaya (Musician), İlyas Salman (Cinema Artist), Kemal Peköz (HDP Ankara MP), Levent Üzümcü (Theater Artist), Mazlum Çimen (Musician), Mehmet Ekici (Musician), Mehmet Esatoğlu (Theater Artist), Mehmet Gümüş (Musician), Mehmet Özcan (Musician), Mehmet Özer (Poet), Meryem Koray (Academic), Mesut Kol (Musician), Metin Avdaç (Director), Mikail Değirmenci (Musician), Murat Mengirkaon (Musician), Musa Baki (Musician), Musa Eroğlu (Musician), Nejat Yavaşoğulları (Musician), Nihat Behram (Poet), Niyazi Koyuncu (Musician), Nurdan İpek (Musician), Nurettin Güleç (Musician), Oğuz Görceğiz (Musician), Oktay Çapanoğlu (Musician), Onur Akın (Musician), Onur Hamzaoğlu (Academic), Orhan Aydın (Theater Artist), Oya Baydar (Writer), Oya Lale Özan Arslan (Journalist), Ozbi (Musician), Özlem Özkan (Academic), Pınar Aydınlar (Musician), Rapzan Belâgat (Musician), Sabahat Akkiraz (Musician), Salih Altun (Writer) , Selçuk Balcı (Musician), Semra Somersan (Writer), Serhad Raşa (Musician), Sevinç Eratalay (Musician), Seyfi Yerlikaya (Musician), Sokak Orkestrası (Musician), Suat Kaya (Musician), Suavi (Musician), Süreyya Karacabey (Writer), Şafak Pala (Musician), Şanar Yurdatapan (Musician), Şebnem Korur Fincancı (Academic), Şenol Akdağ (Musician), Şevket Çoruh (Theater Artist), Şükrü Erbaş (Poet), Tolga Sağ (Musician), Tuna Altınel (Academic), Ümit Biçer (Academic), Vedat Baran (Musician), Yağmur Yılmaz (Musician), Yasemin Göksu (Musician), Yaşar Gündem (Theater Artist), Yılmaz Çelik (Musician), Zülfü Livaneli (Musician), Hasan Saltık, Temel Demirer, Sibel Özbudun, Muzaffer Gezer.

(AS/SD)