A new initiative against censorship was born during the 3rd Freemuse World Conference in Istanbul on 26 November 2006: Artists from Turkey launched the SSS initiative - Sanatta Sansüre Son - which means "End to Censorship on Arts".
The launch took place right after a session which had presented strong testimonies by Turkish musicians and composers who have faced censorship, torture and jail in Turkey. The initiative to create SSS came from young Turkish musicians, and also artists from other fields have joined, as well as presidents of three influential professional organisations.
The launch of Sanatta Sansüre Son. Photo by Mik Aidt
Several musicians taking part in the conference similarly have already initiated various collaborations.
During the session on music censorship in Turkey, Selda Bagcan spoke about her ongoing problems with the Turkish authorities. Photo by Anna Schori
Video documentation
Watch the video interview with Turkish composer and human rights activist Şanar Yurdatapan who gives his impression of the session on Turkey at the conference: Video interview with Şanar Yurdatapan
More information All details about the third Freemuse World Conference which was held in Istanbul on 25-26 November 2006 can be found here: Conference site
Eight months prison sentences were issued by Turkish authorities to two police officers who beat up a 28-year-old café worker for playing an Ahmet Kaya song
Kurdish artist Rojda was arrested for propaganda for an illegal organisation because of singing a Kurdish song entitled Heval Kamuran. She was released within a couple of hours
Tunceli Prosecution Office has filed a case against folk singer Pınar Sağ and poet Mehmet Özcan charging them with two years prison sentences for "praising crime".
Ferhat Tunç was one of the artists who performed in Istanbul on 8 November 2009 in front of 200,000 people protesting for the rights of a religious minority
A statement in favour of a new plan on how the Turkish government should approach the Kurdish issue turned fans of the popular Turkish pop diva Sezen Aksu up against her
On 21 March 2009, a broadcasting editor of a local radio station Dünya in Adana, southern Turkey, was acquitted in a trial brought for the airing of the Kurdish song 'Keçe Kurdan'
Singer and tv host Bülent Ersoy was acquitted of charges against her for having made anti-military remarks during a tv programme broadcasted in February 2008.
Turkish musician Fuat Talay explains (in Danish language) about his personal experiences with music censorship in Turkey which led to his imprisonment and exile
Baglama-player and singer Fuat Talay speaks about how the Turkish authorities kept him in a police station's cellar for 23 days, and later on convicted him to 12 years in prison
Three members of Diyarbakir Yenisehir Council Childrens' Choir were acquitted, but the Turkish court issued an arrest order for the director of the choir, Duygu Bayar
In 2000, a song by Turkish rapper Sultana was banned, and she disappeared from the lime light. After an eight-year hiatus she is now back on the music stage
Excerpt of political scientist Beate Slydal's presentation at the seminar 'Music - a human right', held in Oslo, Norway, on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2008
On 29 November 2007 the Danish Refugee Council awarded Mizgin, a Kurdish refugee musician based in Denmark, with an 'Artist Award' and 5,000 US dollars
