Turkish pop star targeted over 2017 song referencing 'Eve and Adam'
Turkish pop star Sezen Aksu is being targeted by Islamists close to the government over a 2017 song in which she says, "Say hello to those ignorant Eve and Adam." President Erdoğan's ally Devlet Bahçeli also targeted Aksu, calling the singer "irresponsible" and her song "freak." "If you are a sparrow, know your sparrowship, don’t be tempted to be a raven," Bahçeli said, using the iconic singer's nickname of "Minik Serçe" (Little Sparrow in English).
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Famous Turkish pop star Sezen Aksu is on the target of Islamist groups over a song of her from 2017 titled "Şahane Bir Şey Yaşamak" (It is a great thing to live).
One of the lines of the song reads, “Say hello to those ignorant Eve and Adam.”
Aksu had shared a video clip of the song on social media two weeks ago.
The National Survival Movement, known to be a close affiliate to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Murat Şahin said they would be in front of Sezen Aksu’s house at 8.30 p.m. on Jan. 17 to protest her.
AKP MP Mustafa Açıkgöz also targeted Aksu on social media, tweeting: “Enough! Stop your attacks on our values under the guise of art and music, 'You're Out of Fashion', our society is tired of people like you!"
Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, a religious cult leader also known as Cübbeli Ahmet Hoca who’s close to the government, also targeted the pop singer, tweeting: “Those who are so low as to call the first father and the first prophet of humankind, Adam, and his wife and our mother Eve, as ignorant [...] is the most famous and favorite artist of the society today. This criterion is sufficient to understand whether Allah is pleased with this society or not.”
A group of people in Ankara even filed a criminal complaint against Aksu, claiming that she has "insulted religious values."
Several musicians and figures supported Aksu against the threats she has been facing.
Also, a hashtag reading "Sezen Aksu is not alone" (#sezenaksuyalnızdeğildir) went trending on Twitter, in support of the iconic singer.
Pop singer Mustafa Sandal named Aksu one of the "deepest poets of this country." "It is irrational and illogical to twist the lyrics of a song in such a way," Sandal tweeted.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) released a written statement on Jan. 17 with regards to the issue, without explicitly using Aksu's name. “The careless attitude towards religious figures is disrespectful to say the least,” it said.
"Regardless of its purpose, intention and context, it is necessary to be extremely sensitive and careful in every sentence, statement and approach made about the distinguished, leading and exemplary figures of Islam," it further said.
Erdoğan ally Bahçeli also makes iconic singer a target over lyrics
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, joined in the discussion on Jan. 18, referring to Aksu by her nickname "Minik Serçe" ("Little Sparrow" in English).
During an address to his lawmakers, Bahçeli called Aksu an "irresponsible singer" and her song "freak."
"The misery and ignorance of the irresponsible singer, who called Prophet Adem and Hava 'ignorant' in the lyrics of the freak song she wrote, is explicit. I tell the artist, If you are a sparrow, know your sparrowship, don’t be tempted to be a raven," he said.
Aksu is also lovingly known by her fans as "The Queen of Turkish Pop" and Minik Serçe ("Little Sparrow").