Union of Turkish Bar Associations takes midnight music ban to top court
The Union of Turkish Bar Associations has filed an appeal over the government's ban on music after midnight with the Court of Cassation, Turkey's highest administrative court.
Duvar English
The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has filed an application with the Court of Cassation, Turkey's highest administrative court, demanding that it cancel the government's ban on music after midnight.
In a statement on May 18, the TBB pointed out that the measures with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic were all relaxed and that there was no scientific reasoning behind the ongoing ban.
It said that as long as the Interior Ministry's circular with regards to the ban stays in effect, “the public interest, the freedom of science and arts given to individuals by the constitution, and the principle of protecting art and artist will be damaged.”
As part of coronavirus restrictions, in July 2021, the Turkish government had imposed a ban on music, live or broadcast, after midnight. The announcement had been made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had said at the time: “Take no offense but no one has the right to disturb others at night.”
In a circular issued last week, the Interior Ministry kept the midnight music ban in place, but pushed it by a mere hour, saying that the ban would start at 1 a.m. instead of 12 a.m.