Attack on Gallery Opening in Tophane Again

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A group stormed the opening of an exhibition “Kuytu” (nook) in Tophane neighbourhood of İstanbul’s Beyoğlu district. The opening of the exhibition in which works from 21 artists were displayed was ended earlier than planned due to tension.

According to Ezgi Atabilen’s report from Cumhuriyet daily, Vardal Caniş, one of the artists participating in the exhibition with his works, stated that the police did not arrive although they have called and ordered the attendees in the opening to disperse instead of sending away the assaulters.

Caniş has told what had happened as follows;

“More people have come to the opening than we expected. Those who wanted to chat and smoke were waiting in front of the place. A big family including grandparents, parents and the children who were disturbed by the crowd including both male and female guests and by the alcohol consumption came to the place and started yelling at the people. They wanted to inflict physical violence on the father of an attending artist.  [...] We had to close earlier”.

Not the first attack in Tophane

On September 10, 2010, the visitors of an art gallery on Boğazkesen street in Tophane neighbourhood were attacked by a group of 20 assaulters on the grounds that the visitors had been “drinking alcoholic beverages on the street”. Five people were injured. 

Again in May 2014, a group carrying sticks had attacked the people who had gathered in the opening of a graffiti exhibition “Erör” (Error) in Mixer Art Gallery in Hacımimi neighbourhood of Tophane 

In February 2015, a group had attacked the guests in the opening of the “Çoktan Seçmeli” (multiple choice) exhibition in Daire Art Gallery on the grounds that a couple have kissed. 

In June 2016, a group attacked the record store Velvet Indieground Records in Firuzağa neighborhood on grounds that the guests attending the Radiohead event carried out in the venue were consuming alcohol in Eid.

In all of the above listed incidents, the police arrived at least in one hour after being called. None of the assaulters were punished. (ÇT/DG)