Artists evaluating the Peace and Democratic Society Process to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) said that they expect the recently established Parliamentary Commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy to end state pressure on Kurdish culture, art, and music, and underlined that constitutional protection for the preservation of Kurdish culture and language is essential.
Kadir Çat, one of the artists from Sanatolia Collective Studios, said the process is a step that should be supported and called on the commission to address the pressures targeting Kurdish art. Recalling how society has witnessed numerous assaults throughout history, from banned albums to cancelled concerts, from exiled and imprisoned artists to those who were killed. Çat said: “Our expectation of the commission is to investigate these past assaults and to ensure constitutional protection for Kurdish music, Kurdish art, and the Kurdish language for the future. This process represents the liberation of the peoples in Turkey, the liberation of Kurdish art, and indeed the liberation of culture and art as a whole. Our call to all our fellow artists is to contribute to this commission and support the peace process.”
Exiled artists issue a call
Erhan Yılmaz, a member of Group Jorda, an ethno-authentic music group continuing its musical life in Belgium, emphasized that policies of pressure and assimilation against the Kurds have been applied throughout history. Yılmaz noted that their group performs concerts in Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian, and said: “This pressure, denial, and assimilation policy has been a continuous practice against the Kurds throughout history. It is a policy entirely supported by the state and developed under state control. It was inevitable that these annihilation and denial policies would eventually be understood as unsustainable, and tremendous resistance was carried out, with great costs paid. Costs were paid both in the artistic and cultural sense, and also on the battlefield. In today’s process, significant developments are unfolding. The process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan inspires us, as young artists and young musicians, giving us real hope and excitement. As artists in exile, our foremost longing is to return to our country, to reunite with our homeland as soon as possible. What will resolve not only our yearning to embrace the Kurds but also our desire to embrace the wider society of Turkey is the establishment of fully democratic, social, and legal regulations. With such steps, our hope will grow stronger. We stand by this process; we will not remain distant. We have trust: trust in Mr. Öcalan, in our people, and in the peoples of Turkey.”
Freedom of expression must be discussed with artists
Rap artist Simyager stated that the new generation of artists is not faced with direct repression, but rather with a policy of assimilation that seeks to systematize artists and emphasized that artists should take part in the process. Simyager said: “We belong to a generation that can be considered part of the new youth of this society. We have not encountered obstacles in our music, but the current strategy is this: the system is now systematizing the artist. This is not something I experience personally, but I see it around me. I can see that the approach of political power has changed. Artists from both the Turkish society and the Kurdish society, as well as from other communities, must include themselves in this process. Because the freedom of artists to express themselves must be discussed together with the artists themselves.”
Emphasis on free space for creation
Musician Gülhan Bişeng, who stated that she has faced many obstacles in her artistic life because of her Kurdish identity and language, said that one of the commission’s primary responsibilities should be to guarantee cultural rights. Gülhan Bişeng said: “As a Kurdish musician, I have faced immense pressure throughout my life. Censorship, bans, invisibilization, and policies of cultural assimilation are among the main barriers. In my artistic journey, I too have encountered many obstacles because of my identity and language. Yet despite all this, I have never lost my faith in the transformative power of art. Demanding a free space of creation, where art is not squeezed into the narrow confines of politics, must be our shared ground. When we consider the years of pressure on Kurdish art and culture, the commission’s foremost duty is to secure cultural rights and create a free space for artists. This step is vital not only for artists, but also for social peace and a democratic future.”
A call to artists
Artist Şirin Kaya expressed that, as artists, they stand behind the call of Abdullah Öcalan and support peace. She said: “In the past, we demanded the lifting of pressures on culture and art, and for this purpose, the establishment of investigative commissions. Our wish for the future is that all peoples in Turkey can freely practice their art in their own language and culture. We want a Turkey where there is no repression, where no lawsuits are filed over songs. We are hopeful, we believe that peace will come to this country. We are ready to do our part in this. However, this process must not only be embraced by Kurdish artists, but by all artists living in Turkey. Together, we will be stronger.”