Petition to Presidency for evacuation of 24 artists from Afghanistan

The lives of 24 artists who have been working for human rights are in danger, say the organizers of the campaign.

Evrim Kepenek

Petition to Presidency for evacuation of 24 artists from Afghanistan

Click to read the article in Turkish

A group of artists in Turkey have launched a campaign for the evacuation of 24 artists from Afghanistan's Kabul after its takeover by the Taliban.

One of the organizers of the campaign, Prof. Ebru Gökdağ from Anadolu University, told bianet that the campaign is open to artists and everyone sensitive to the issue.

"The theater of the oppressed is my field. I'm also a member of the International Theater of the Oppressed. The Afghanistan Democracy and HumanRights Organization is also a member of the same group," she said.

"In that sense, we get support from each other. After the Taliban's occupation, we communicated with them and learned that the lives of 24 artists are at risk.

"These people are struggling for human rights based on art. They compile information from those who suffered from the war. And this enables them to keep a memory.

"In this sense, they are fighting intensely. They support women and they have come a long way because of these works. This is why they are targeted by the Taliban.

The petition:

"Hello; we have opened the following text for signatures to be sent to the institutions of the Republic of Turkey.

"Please sign this petition to save the lives of the 24 artists and send it to all the people of culture and arts you know.

"The email address is [email protected]. It's enough to state your name-surname and profession in your mail." (EMK/VK)

Origin

BIA News Desk

Taliban Afghanistan vk Talîban kabul artists Kabûl

Evrim Kepenek

@kepenekevrimm

[email protected]

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Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism...

Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism and reporting on gender-based violence. She is among the founders of the Women and LGBTI+ Commission of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS). She is a board member of the TGS Istanbul Branch for the 2023–2027 term. She received the Musa Anter Journalism Award in 2011 and the Turkish Psychiatric Association’s Best News Award in 2024. She worked as a reporter for Cumhuriyet, BirGün, İMC TV, DİHA, Jinha, and Jin News, and also worked for local newspapers in Rize. Her news reports and articles have been published in Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo, and trade magazines. She is one of the founding writers of GOR, a Hemşin culture magazine. She contributed writings to the books Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, and Medya ve Yalanlar. She was a bianet intern in 2000. She graduated from the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University.