Turkey: ‘Mouthpiece’ in art and culture

Censorship, but also … self-censorship is experienced by many artists and intellectuals in Turkey. Religious fanaticism does not favor the freedom of art.

Even the biggest diva of Turkish pop music, Cezan Aksu, known by the nickname “the little sparrow”, does not avoid getting involved in censorship in neighboring Turkey. On December 30, Aksu uploaded to YouTube her song “haneahane Bir Şey Yaşamak” (“Life is Wonderful”), which includes a controversial verse: “Greetings to the ignorant, Adam and Eve”. Fanatic nationalists and Islamists have begun to accuse her of “insulting the nation’s religious values.”

Even the President of Turkey intervened in the public debate, shortly after the traditional Friday prayer. Without naming Aksu, he warned that “no one dares to offend the prophet Adam. If anyone dares to do so, we must cut off his tongue.” At the same time, the state religious authority Diaynet issued a critical statement, warning that any frivolous characterization of a religious figure could be considered a “disrespectful act”. All this for a song that has already been released five years ago.

References to … poverty are prohibited

It was the latest, but not the only, case of authoritarianism toward art in recent years. and in a timeless context, while often resorting to metaphors. “There is no freedom of opinion,” said Kaiguzuz. “Let’s not talk about politics. You are not even allowed to mention that there is poverty. If you do, if you criticize as any citizen does, you may be arrested immediately.”

State censorship? Not even, says painter and sculptor Erdin Babat. In his view, what disarms artists is the surrounding atmosphere, the unbearable social climate. “There is no organized Censorship Authority or anything like that,” says the Turkish artist. “But the pressure leads to self-censorship. A few years ago a friend participated in an exhibition of contemporary art in Istanbul, with a sculpture depicting an Ottoman sultan. He was attacked, beaten with sticks, only he was not lynched …”

The abstract depiction of a sultan is considered a critique of the Ottoman Empire, of which one should be proud, according to the official version of history. But Babat himself had problems with the authorities. A recent report was canceled at the last minute on the grounds that it contained “sexist” items. The reason for a series of nudes, which, however, depicted abstract forms and did not have a pornographic character. Finally, Babat opened his exhibition in … Austria. He states today that “in Turkey society is not ready to accept contemporary art”.

Memories from Gezi Park are alive

And yet, until a few years ago, everyone believed that, at least in Istanbul, the art scene was in full swing. It all ended with the violent repression of demonstrations in Gezi Park in 2013. After the bloody riots, many artists simply paralyzed. “The mobilizations in Gezi Park are very important to me,” says painter Erdin Babat. “My works are affected, which includes portraits of young masked men. But it all ended with a huge disappointment. I could not work for two years, the same happened with many other artists …”

The art scene did not recover from the painful experience of 2013 and was followed by another blow after the coup attempt in 2016. The pressures intensified, especially for those who promote artistic activity. A typical example is the arrest of Osman Kavala, created by the Anadolu Kültür Foundation. According to video artist Zeino Pekunlou, “Bullying is not directed at artists, but at those who fund and establish programs such as the Anadolu Kültür. All of this has a huge impact …”

Uwe Lub (ARD)

Edited by: Giannis Papadimitriou

Source: Deutsche Welle