More concerts of protest musicians banned by AKP municipalities

Lermi and Koyuncu

Concerts of two protest musicians have been canceled by municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Niyazi Koyuncu, the son of famous late musician Kazım Koyuncu, said yesterday (May 23) that his concert had been canceled by the Pendik District Municipality in İstanbul.

"The Municipality has announced that it is not acceptable for a musician who does not share the values and ideals of the municipality to hold a concert at Pendik Square," he wrote on Twitter. "Despite all the bans and efforts to marginalize, we will continue singing our songs more loudly together."

Last week, Koyuncu called on the people to attend a rally organized by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on May 21.

"Pontos Genocide"

Apolas Lermi, another protest musician from the Black Sea Region, had two of his upcoming concerts canceled, after giving a concert at an event organized by the opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality on May 19.

The concert he was going to give in Denizli province on May 29 was canceled by the Pamukkale Municipality. Another concert that was going to take place in Bostancı, İstanbul, on June 11 was also canceled by the organizers.

Lermi wrote on Twitter that his concerts were canceled after Ümit Özdağ, a populist nationalist politician who leads the Zafer (Victory) Party, targeted him on social media, without mentioning his name.

İmamoğlu, 19 Mayıs’ta 19 Mayıs Pontus soykırımıdır iftirasını atan adama konser verdiriyor.Allah aşkına zerre kadar milli kimliğin yok mu?Sonra “Atatürk İle konuşmak isterdim” diye reklam ajansı cümlesi ile ortaya çıkıyorsunuz. Atatürk yüzüne bakar mı senin. ⁦⁦ pic.twitter.com/lKVYp2Jvfy

— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) May 19, 2022

Noting that Lermi's concert took place on May 19 Youth Day, a national holiday in Turkey, Özdağ wrote, "İmamoğlu, [Ekrem, İstanbul mayor] let's the guy who cast aspersions that 'May 19 is the date of Pontos genocide' to give a concert. For God's sake, don't you have a blind bit of national identity?"

Pontic Greeks, who used to live in the Black Sea Region and were subjected to ethic cleansing and massacres between 1014 and 1921, observe May 19 as the anniversary of the Pontos Genocide.

Lermi, who has a large audience in the region and among Pontic Greeks, had previously shared social media messages commmeorating the Pontos Genocide.

Concert bans in Turkey

Recently, concerts by several musicians were canceled by AKP municipalities or civil authorities in last-minute decisions.

A youth music festival in Eskişehir and renowned Kurdish musician Aynur Doğan's concert were among them.

Also, Metin and Kemal Kahraman brothers' concert in the Kurdish-majority provinces of Dersim was canceled just one day before its planned date. 

CLICK - Dozens of Kurdish concerts, plays banned in Turkey in three years

(VK/TB)