23 detained for singing Kurdish songs at wedding ceremony in Turkey

Duvar English

An Eskişehir court temporarily detained 23 people over “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” for singing Kurdish songs during a wedding.

23 people were detained over the accusation that they sang the songs containing lyrics of “organization propaganda” together with two wedding singers, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

After their detention, Social Freedom Party (TÖP) chair Perihan Koca said on Oct. 22 that the wedding in Kireç village of Odunpazarı district took place 1.5 months ago. Accordingly, the police raided the people's houses for detention as well as the wedding place.

"The records of the wedding were confiscated (by the police). Those detained were kept in the anti-terrorism department for 8-9 hours. The Turkish versions of the six songs sung at the wedding were read to them many times. 23 people were later released, but a lawsuit was filed against them. They are accused of making organization propaganda through songs," Koca said.

“The people I spoke to said that there was a wedding in their village (after the detentions) but they were hesitant to play music. If there is no sufficient reaction to this fascist practice, this practice will also be tried to be normalized. It is an existential right for a people to have fun with the songs in their native language and to feel sad with the songs in their native language. We will not allow hostility towards Kurds,” she added.