Silenced Turkish singers decry continued music ban
Turkish government persistence on not removing the live music ban draws outcry from the entertainment and music industry.
Almost all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in Turkey, with one striking exception: the live music ban after midnight, fueling outcry from workers in the music and entertainment industry.
Popular singers — including, for example, Demet Akalin, who has some 6.7 million followers on Twitter — are keeping the ban under the spotlight, directly pleading with Erdogan to lift the ban. Akalin and other musicians have expressed their complaints of financial losses during the pandemic.
In response to growing outcry, the Interior Ministry announced May. 10 that live music would be permitted until 1 a.m. instead of midnight, but the move has failed to meet the expectations of the industry.
Lifting the ban seems like a far prospect given Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s stance on the issue. Speaking on the issue in April of last year, Erdogan said, “No offense, but no one has the right to disturb others at night time.”
