Soldiers block Grup Yorum members' entry to Dersim after concert ban

Photo: Dilan Polat

Click to read the article in Turkish

A bus carrying the members of Grup Yorum music band was yesterday (July 21) stopped by soldiers at the entrance of Dersim, where they went to attend the 20th Munzur Culture and Nature Festival.

The soldiers did not allow three members of the band to enter the city and warned them that they would be taken into custody if they refused to leave.

Ali Rıza Bilir, a member of the Festival Organization, told bianet that they had been held for about one and a half hours, and the three band members had been surrounded.

The decision to ban the concerts of the Grup Yorum and İsyan Ateşi was politically motivated, Bilgin said, adding, "Grup Yorum has been taking part in our festivals for years. These bans are arbitrary. Grup Yorum is a political arts group and the art they make bothers the government. For this reason, the ban decision they gave is political. Grup yorum members will take part in our festival."

Known for their politically charged songs, the Grup Yorum has long been persecuted over the years, with many of its members prosecuted and incarcerated. Two of the band's mambers, Helin Bölek and İbrahim Gökçek, lost their lives after months of hunger strikes demanding a fair trial.

"We will give a concert in Dersim"

Grup Yorum member Dilan Poyaz said she wasn't allowed to enter her hometown, Dersim.

"They performed an ID check and stated that the entrance of me, and the members of our band, Fırat Kaya and Can Dursun, to the city was banned for seven days as per a decision by the governor's office.

"I told them that I was from Dersim and they could not prevent me from entering my hometown. Despite that, they told me that they would not allow my entrance.

"There are orders for us not to be allowed in the city, but there is no court decision whatsoever about us. Despite that, we are not allowed in the city. They say they will detain us but they can't do that as there is no prosecutor's order.

"The soldiers who stopped us are also aware of the unlawfulness of the decision and they want to make us leave by harassing us, but we won't. We will go to Dersim, we will give our concert. We don't accept his unlawfulness."

Governor's ban

In a statement on July 18, the Tunceli Governor's Office said Grup Yorum and İsyan Ateşi had been banned from taking part in the concert events to take place in Dersim.

Despite the ban, the office said, the bands and Dersim Mayor Mehmet Fatih Maçoğlu falsely said the concerts would take place.

"It is one of the main duties and responsibilities of our state that our citizens live in an environment of peace and security. In this framework, it is important to ensure the need for security, well-being and general health, which are among the elements of public order." (RT/VK)