‘We are Threatened, We will not Take Even a Single Step Back’

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Artists Ferhat Tunç and Pınar Aydınlar and writer Gökhan Yavuzel have announced that they are receiving threatening social media messages with pictures of weapons, death threats and intimidation.

Releasing a joint statement, Tunç, Aydınlar and Yavuzel have noted that they will not bow down to these threats:

"As individuals who believe in a socialist-realist understanding of art and try to perform our art despite all hardships, we would like to declare that we will not bow to the cruel threats and insults recently targeting us; on the contrary, solidarity and struggle give strength to our soul even more.

"The herd who thinks that they will intimidate us with pictures of weapons, messages to cow us into submission and death threats sent to us on social media under certain names and groups should know this well: We do not take even a single step back. Because we follow in the footsteps of Pir Sultan Abdal*, who said, 'Let them return, I never return my way.'

"Throughout history, artists and intellectuals producing artworks and knowledge for the society have been targeted by governments most of the time; however, the ones who resisted have managed to break the power of the tyrants and could defeat their reign.

"We know it very well that the bright future that we have all been longing for is close at all costs. We respectfully announce it to the public that no matter how hard the conditions are and what effects and consequences it will have, we will keep on producing and struggling." (EKN/SD)

* Pir Sultan Abdal (ca. 1480–1550) was an Alevi poet, reflecting the social, cultural and religious life of the people; he was a humanist, and wrote about God, Islam, Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ali, Twelve Imams, resistance, love and peace. He was also rebellious against authoritarian rule which led him into problems with the Ottoman establishment. (Source: Wikipedia)