Ban on Kurdish street musicians in Istanbul is part of genocidal policies against Kurds

The AKP-MHP fascist alliance is currently pursuing a policy of genocide of Kurdish culture. Special warfare methods such as killing, arrest, torture, oppression, food shortages, drugs, prostitution, spying and psychological warfare are the main tools used for the policy of genocide.

The most fundamental feature of the genocidal policy against the Kurds is cultural genocide. Language assimilation and crackdown on cultural and artistic activities are the most known methods of the cultural genocide.

Musicians and artists perform their works in the streets, avenues, boulevards and squares. There are street performers all over the world. In recent years, we have also seen music groups performing their art on the streets and squares in Turkey, especially in Istanbul. Some of them are groups that produce music in Kurdish.

However, the genocidal colonial mentality has recently put a ban on performing Kurdish music on the streets. Turkish authorities attempt to prevent the recognition and development of the Kurdish language, which is recorded as an unknown language in the parliamentary minutes. They do not want the citizens of Turkey to even acknowledge that such a language exists. Thus, a step has been taken to ban Kurdish music. Turkish authorities remain opposed to the legitimation of the Kurdish language and its use as a natural right. This leads to a hostility towards the Kurdish language.

Any musical group is allowed to perform its songs in Taksim, the very heart of Istanbul, no matter the language they sing them. Greek, Armenian and any musical group from a country that has problems with Turkey are allowed to perform their songs without any problem. However, in the city where millions of Kurds live, Kurdish musical groups are banned!

This is the main attitude of the Turkish state towards the Kurds and the Kurdish language. The so-called official discourse that goes ‘We recognize the Kurds and the Kurdish language’ is deceiving public opinion inside and outside the country. The so-called official recognition is used to cover up genocidal policies. They also use the elective courses and state-run TV (TRT Kurdi) in Kurdish for this purpose.

Neither assimilation nor cultural genocide can be stopped with the introduction of a two-hour elective Kurdish course. In an age of communication and information, a 2-hour elective course does not stop assimilation in a country where there is no education in the mother tongue, it only covers up the policy of genocide.

Kurdish can be chosen as an elective course. We are not against it. However, it is clear that elective courses will not solve anything. Musical performances by Kurdish singers on TRT Kurdi only draw the curtain over the genocidal policies. TRT Kurdi has indeed been given the task of covering up the policies of genocide. In the first days of its broadcasting, the pro-government TV channel attempted to create the perception that it was a channel outside of politics. However, they do not need impartiality anymore. TRT Kurdi is the Kurdish version of the pro-government A Haber TV channel.

The band performing Kurdish music in Taksim was not allowed even though its members said that “We have nothing to do with politics, we are not bothered by the police, we will only perform our music”. The assimilation of the Kurdish language and preventing the development of Kurdish music is Turkey’s basic policy.

It is, therefore, a politics to oppose language assimilation, the ban on music and genocide. The Kurds cannot get rid of assimilation or cultural genocide without a political struggle. The Kurds who do not fight politically may become victims of genocide. Therefore, political awareness is necessary while making art.

From this point of view, the reaction of Kurdish artists to the ban on street musicians has been important. Kurdish artists cried out at the ban since they were already aware of the Turkish state’s policy of genocide. Probably the Kurdish artists know it better than others that the Turkish state and the current AKP-MHP government are implementing a policy of genocide against the Kurds. Genocide is both physical and cultural. In this sense, genocide may be overlooked by every social group, but not by artists.

Therefore, all Kurdish people, especially the Kurds living in Istanbul, should support the singers banned in Taksim-Istanbul. Tens of thousands of Kurds could have gone to Taksim to protect the Kurdish artists. This would have been the most legitimate attitude. The AKP-MHP fascist alliance could not stop such demonstrations of solidarity.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining. With such practices, the AKP-MHP fascist government raises awareness among the Kurds who do not see the official crackdown on the Kurds and even vote for the AKP. This ban has helped the Kurds to actually expose the AKP government even further. Therefore, all Kurds should question such practices and be aware of the anti-Kurdish policies of the Turkish state. The more we get to know the policy of genocide, the better we can fight against it.

For the last seven years, the AKP-MHP fascism has been instrumental in raising awareness about the policies of genocide against the Kurds. Therefore, awareness also strengthens the struggle against genocidal policies. An awareness of these policies plays an important role to promote a free and democratic Turkey with Kurdish identity, language and culture and self-government.

Source: Yeni Yaşam Newspaper