Mesopotamia Cultural Center evicted from its building by force

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The İstanbul Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM), a Kurdish culture and art center in Tarlabaşı Neighborhood, has been evicted from its building by force. As the time given to the center to leave the building expired today (August 20), the building was blockaded by the police.

As reported by daily Yeni Yaşam, after the workers of the center took their necessary staff from the building and left, they made a statement for the press in front of the building. The statement was also attended by Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Hüda Kaya, HDP Central Executive Committee member Ferhat Encü, HDP İstanbul Co-Chair Elif Bulut and Kurdish Studies Association Co-Chair Eyüp Subaşı.

'They are taking our building from us'

MKM artist Hüseyin İldan (Genim), one of the founders of the Koma Çiya music band, has said that they have been doing their cultural and artistic activities in this building for years now despite all types of hardships, underlining that the right of millions of Kurds to express themselves in their own language, culture and arts has been usurped.

"But they take this right from us. They take our building from us by force," İldan has noted and underlined that "they will keep on with their activities now and from now on despite all types of attacks."

'A forced eviction means seizure'

Taking the floor after İldan, HDP MP Hüda Kaya has also underlined that the forced closure of the MKM, which has been engaging in arts and culture in İstanbul for years, is both illegal and unlawful.

HDP MP Kaya has stressed that the forced eviction of the building means seizure and briefly added the following:

"We will keep making statements that criticize you and take off your masks. We will keep on doing our music and art that object to you and raise this objection, awaken and raise awareness of the society. We will keep doing our music and art wherever we are. This government had better write this down somewhere: We will not surrender to the rule of oppression."

Tenants were not informed

In 2019, a tender was lodged by the Directorate General of Foundations for the building for 3 times without informing the tenants though they had rent contracts. Informed about the tender by different means, the MKM bidded in three tenders and won two of them. However, the Directorate cancelled these tenders, saying "There was not enough competition.

Handed over to Beyoğlu Sub-Governor's Office, the building will be given to the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Beyoğlu Municipality.

About the Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM)

It was established by a group of intellectuals and artists, including writer, poet and journalist Musa Anter, sociologist and writer İsmail Beşikçi and artist Ali Temel, in İstanbul on September 27, 1991.

Engaging in Kurdish cultural and artistic works and activities, the MKM has been active for 20 years with a perspective of "free life, revolutionary art."

Producing cultural and artistic works in different disciplines such as theater, cinema, music, folk dances and contemporary dance, the MKM has undertaken the mission of being the voice, language and color of the peoples in Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Middle East. (AÖ/SD)