Artists Say Close Down AKP not AKM

More than a thousand writers, artists and activists gathered together to protest government plans to tear down the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), only venue with a great capacity to scene different kinds of performances in the heart of the city.

Prominent artists and artist groups organized a protest in front of the infamous venue and voiced their criticism against the Ministry of Culture proposal to build a conference center in place of it.

NGOs and rights organizations supported the protest. Theatre artist Orhan Aydın read a press release in the name of the protesters and noted that 14 organizations joined the petition to stop the demolition of the building.

"We protect our home, AKM, we'll lie in it. We can't let to loose even one chair or spotlight" he said.

Speaking on behalf of arts and culture institutions, Tamer Levent criticized the government's apathy towards cultural progress and said that this wouldn't be acceptable in a democracy.

The demonstrators named themselves "Artist's Front Against Darkness" chanted slogans like "No to darkness yes to Art", "Theatre against war", "Close AKP not AKM".

Following the speeches musicians Cahit Berkay and Hüsnü Şenlendirici sang songs and others read poems.

Both AKM and nearby Muhsin Ertugrul Theatre Venue are planned to be demoslished for plans to build a "conference valley" for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's Governor's Meeting scheduled to take place between October 6-7, 2009 in Istanbul.(TK/EÜ)

* Özgür Radio contributed to this article.