While They Get The Feast We Are Left With Bans

While They Get The Feast We Are Left With Bans

Ferhat TUNC

In many countries – worldwide - March 3rd “Music Freedom Day” is celebrated with several concerts and events. With their oppositional identity towards suppression and censorship, artists of the worldwide autocratic regime are invited to draw attention to these circumstances as a global issue. This year as well, activities to these events are similar to the years before. On March 3rd several “Music Freedom Day” events took place in Mombai, Cairo, Kabul, Amman, The Hague, Paris and New York.

I would like to mention, that this year an album called “World´s Forbidden Songs” will be released and placed on the market. Mahza Verdat from Iran, Aziza Brahim, Marcel Khalife, Amal Murkus, Jay Fakoly from the West Sahara and myself, Ferhat Tunc from Turkey, we all have worked on this album which is available since on March 3rd. Performing in the respective mother tongues is an important plus innovative factor for artists, who have not had the chance to express theire opinions freely.


Every year - on “Music Freedom Day” - Freemuse (World Free Music Forum) awards one or two artists who are activists against censorship and suppression. Ole Raitov, President of Freemuse called me to inform me that one of the 2010 awards goes to Mr. Marcel Khalife. His music drew attention to the pursuit of freedom and resistance of the Arabic people of his country.

My works are also being rewarded.

On Thursday, March 25th the ceremony will take place in London. Marcel Khalife and I will be honoured to accept the awards on behalf of all artists worldwide who are being persecuted, suppressed, censored, incriminated even arrested due to ethnic, political or cultural reasons.

I must emphasise, that in my own country I am frequently being confronted with exclusion and fascist reactions, while internationaly my works are beeing awarded. In my country throughout my 30 years of being an artist I see a constant struggle against oppression and interdiction. Especially within the last 7 years – the time of AKP government - interdictions have multiplied to a great extent. We, as a minority are being put off with a so called “Democratic opening” for about a year now. Being an artist pleading for democracy, freedom and peace I am more a proponent and advocate to democratic expansion in this country and I will continue being so. I find the approach of our present government excluding and dangerous.

In geographically Kurdish areas suppression and a terror regime are reviving. Many political representatives and mayors who have been voted by the Kurdish people have now been arrested and imprisoned. Kurdish children have been accused to have supposedly thrown stones at tanks. They have been arrested, imprisoned and convicted to decades of imprisonment. Artists singing in Kurdish have to face similar punishment.

During an operation called KCK Seyda Perincek – a Kurdish singer from Diyarbakir – has been arrasted and is still imprisoned just for having sung in Kurdish. Likewise, last month Abraham Rojhilat and later Rojda – both as well Kurdish singers – have been arrested for their Kurdish songs.
To the lawsuits I am currently involved with, a new one will be added. During the Culture and Nature Munzur Festival in 2009 I was taking a speech with the lines “..We do not want to live in a geographical area which is being changed into hell by murderers using their ranks…”

To us, having to face this reality and having to live in this society means being in a constant political struggle. This strengthens us in our pursuit of peace and a life in dignity. On the other hand there has been a “cooperative” approach by the government which has an effect on the entire artists´ community. On February 20th our Prime Minister met artists of the community at Dolmabahce Palace at a breakfast get-together to discuss the acceptance of an issue to the agenda of the “Democratic opening”. Artists he feels connected to i.e. people he believes to be close to his party. I would like to mention that I was not invited. Even if I had been, I would not have participated. Of course, as in the so called “Alevi opening” I would have expressed my opinions and backed my attitude. Many of those who participated in the encounter I know for many years. I have no doubt that exactly these people know, that the credibility of the government concerning the “Democratic opening” or the “Kurdish opening” has faded or even got lost.

Participating in such an encounter which lacks credibility already shows how participants are being exploited.

In Turkey it is obvious to see – and impossible to ignore – how we are constantly confronted with fascism and being constantly put down, under the name of “Kurdish Expansion”. It was the singer Hakan Peker who was describing this oppression at the breakfast get-together. I found his speech extremely interesting and would like to congratulate. Hakan Peker´s attitude and statements towards oppression must have caused embarrassment among the other Kurdish and Alevi artists. These empathetic colleagues know better than anybody else about the facts. Them - showing no reaction - made them an indifferent audience. This does not surprise me any more. Plus, Arif Sag who became a protagonist concerning the “Alevi opening” is advising the wrong policy and encouraged to become more and more pro-government. I find that this should encourage us to think about it.

Being an artist of such a repressive regime requires an unwillingness to compromise. History has taught us that those who have always been egotistic, who have based relations on exploitation, who have adapted to a regime cannot have a lasting effect or value as artists.

The history of our country has indeed sustaining values. Pir Sultan, Nazim Hikmet, Yilmaz Güney and last but not least the beloved Ahmet Kaya, they all are examples with their unwillingness to compromise and their revolutionary attitude. What can we expect from artists who adapt to a nightmarish corrupt system? I suppose we cannot even expect them to perceive these values.

It is obvious that for those artists who are not willing to compromise concerning their identity and political attitude there will not be any changes in this country. As long as they are not being invited to these so called “breakfast get-togethers” they will continue fighting recriminations and bans in the name of justice. This is what history as well as society expects from a true artist.