Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Ağbaba organized a press conference along with protest band Grup Yorum, criticizing the “de facto” stadium ban on the band’s concerts.
Grup Yorum is a band known for their political songwriting. Releasing twenty albums since 1987, the band’s concerts and albums were banned over the years, and some of the group members were allegedly arrested or tortured.
The press conference was held in Turkey’s Parliament this morning.
Inan Altın, one of the band members, complaint that they were unable to find an available stadium to run a big gig for its 30th anniversary. He added that the band’s request to run a gig in the stadiums in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana and Elazığ were rejected.
“It is about Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) efforts to close stadiums to us either openly or indirectly. Stadiums belong to the public, it is nobody’s private property. Nobody has the arbitrary power to close stadiums,” he said.
Inan Altın also invited to their protest outside Turkey’s Presidential Palace in Ankara on April 3.
“Grup Yorum fans will sing our songs around the same we will protest in Ankara,” he said.
Veli Ağbaba also urged the authorities to take action against the ban.
″Grup Yorum is this county’s reality, memory. We have embraced ourselves to hope as they sang along.
Advocate Selçuk Kozağaçlı, another attendant of the conference, pledged that he will take legal action.
Following the press conference, Grup Yorum held a mini concert in the parliament press conference hall. (YY/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
