Click to read the article in Turkish
The concert of Turkish Folk Music singer Sabahat Akkiraz to be held at Vedat Dalokay Park in the capital city of Ankara on September 22 has been cancelled by the Governorship on the ground of public security.
As reported by Burak Abatay from daily BirGün, the concert to be held by Lâl Gazel, Ahu Sağlam, Metanu and Sabahat Akkiraz as part of Batıkent Culture Festival has met the prevention of Governorship.
In the official letter of response signed by Vice Governor Kemal Karadağ, it has been indicated, "The organization of the concert in question has not been deemed suitable in terms of public welfare and public security".
Statement by Sabahat Akkiraz
Musician Sabahat Akkiraz has posted a message about the issue on her Twitter account: "The concert that we will hold in Ankara Batıkent on Sunday has been banned by the Ankara Governorship on the ground of 'security'. It is very heartbreaking that a concert is banned in the capital city, in the middle of our country on such a ground. If our crime is to sing folk songs for some. No one can silence our folk songs."
Pazar günü Ankara Batıkent’te gerçekleştireceğimiz konserimiz Ankara Valiliği tarafından
— Sabahat Akkiraz (@sabahatakkiraz) September 19, 2019
“güvenlik” gerekçesi ile yasaklandı. Başkent’te,ülkemizin göbeğinde bu bahane ile konser yasaklamak çok kırıcı. Suçumuz Türkü söylemek birilerine göre. Kimse türkülerimizi susturamaz https://t.co/O3sR12AbST
About Batıkent Culture Festival
The Culture Festival of Batıkent was supported by several neighborhood heads and non-governmental organizations, primarily by Batıkent Culture House. While weekly concerts are organized at the same park, Turkish Folk Music singer Selda Bağcan gave a concert on August 30.
About Sabahat Akkiraz
Sabahat Akkiraz is a Turkish Folk Music singer and was a Member of Parliament for Istanbul between 2011 and 2015 from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Born in the district of Kangal in Sivas, Akkiraz and her family moved to Germany during her childhood. After returning to Turkey, she released her first professional album, Şafak Söktü, in 1983. Since then, she has worked with several other artists such as Arif Sağ, Musa Eroğlu, Muhlis Akarsu, Aşık Daimi, Feyzullah Çınar and Davut Sulari.
In the 2011 general election in Turkey, Akkiraz was elected as an MP from İstanbul's 3rd electoral district from the opposition CHP. Following the Soma mine disaster in 2014, Akkiraz announced her resignation from Parliament for the June 2015 general election, stating that having a parliamentary seat did not give her the ability to change the direction of the country. (TP/SD)
