Multiple concerts by prominent Kurdish artists in Turkey have been cancelled by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-governed municipalities, raising concerns over escalating restrictions on Kurdish cultural expression. Concerts by singers Rojda Şenses, Diljen Ronî, Azad Bedran, and Xecê, scheduled in İstanbul, Antalya, Erzurum (Erzerom), Ağrı (Agirî), and Muş (Mûş), were recently called off for various reasons including “renovations” or “other bookings”.
The cancellations began on 8 November, when a concert by Şenses in İstanbul’s Küçükçekmece district, a CHP-run local administration, scheduled at the Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Show Centre was prevented from taking place, without explanation. Days later, Antalya’s Muratpaşa Municipality cancelled Bedran’s performance, citing a “scheduling conflict”, while Şişli’s Cemil Candaş Cultural Centre attributed the 6 December cancellation of Ronî’s concert to renovations. Xecê’s shows in Erzurum, Ağrı, and Muş were also cancelled, with venue owners informing the artist last minute.
Mehmet Remzi Azizoğlu, co-chair of the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), described the cancellations as part of a broader political climate where CHP municipalities feel pressured to sideline Kurdish voices. “Following the government’s appointment of a trustee in Esenyurt, CHP officials fear backlash from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)- Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) alliance if they support Kurdish artists,” Azizoğlu told Artı Gerçek. He argued that the cancellations exemplify a sustained government strategy to fracture Kurdish support for the CHP by stirring mutual distrust.
Azizoğlu linked these actions to a long-standing history of pressure on Kurdish culture, noting that “whenever deemed necessary, Kurdish identity, language, and artists have been targeted.” He added that the government avoids official bans, instead pressuring CHP municipalities into restrictive actions, exacerbating tensions between the CHP and the Kurdish electorate as elections near.
Recently, a concert by Şenses in Esenyurt reportedly became a factor in the government’s appointment of a trustee to replace the local mayor. Kurdish artists and advocates view these recent cancellations as emblematic of ongoing challenges for cultural representation amid shifting political dynamics.
