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NEWS28 December 2003 Kurds struggle to find voice in Turkey In December 2003, one of Turkey’s best-known singers and film stars, Ibrahim Tatlises, sang a song in Kurdish, his native language, live on television. Then, a few days after his performance, members of Turkey’s rightist Ulkucu movement, the youth wing of former government partner the National Action Party, staged a large protest in Istanbul against the singer. Story from Aljazeera Related reading and more on minorities Kurds struggle to find voice in Turkey As death threats and angry slogans greet a recent performance in Kurdish by one of Turkey’s most popular singers, many human rights advocates in Turkey feel Ankara still has a long way to go to meet European Union standards on minorities 28 December 2003 Turkey: Broadcasting in local languages allowed without time limit Autorities has granted permission to 14 radio and tv stations in Turkey to broadcast in Kurdish, Zazaki, and Arabic without time limit 03 March 2010 Turkey: Court case against two teenagers for singing Kurdish song Malazgirt Criminal Court opened a court case against 18-year-old Özgür Başak and 17-year-old R.D. who are charged for singing along the Kurdish song 'Oremar' 06 September 2010 Turkey: Date of next hearing set in Ferhat Tunç's case The date for the next hearing in the case against musician and Freemuse Award winner Ferhat Tunç has been set to 30 September 2010 04 August 2010 Turkey: Court sentences band to 10 months imprisonment for Kurdish song The Malatya Criminal Court has sentenced the band members of Grup Munzur to 10 months imprisonment for singing a Kurdish song at a concert held in June 2008 27 July 2010 Turkey: Singer sentenced to 10 months in prison Singer Cevdet Bağca to serve a 10 months prison term for a statement given to the crowd before his concert in the Turkish town Siirt in September 2009 22 July 2010 Turkey: Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunc faces 15 years in prison Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç faces imprisonment of up to 15 years regarding charges of "spreading propaganda for the PKK organisation", the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party 26 May 2010 Turkey: Kurdish music in turmoil of censorship and court cases A Kurdish song has been banned, and Kurdish singers are being arrested for singing - or just singing along to - specific Kurdish songs, accused of making propaganda 19 May 2010 Turkey: One year ban and prison sentences to Kurdish music group Diyarbakır High Criminal Court banned 13 members of Bahar Cultural Centre from performing arts for one year and gave them 10 months prison sentence each 23 April 2010 Turkey: A new investigation against musician Ferhat Tunç Ferhat Tunç made a formal deposition at a Public Prosecution Office due to an investigation filed against him about a speech he made at a music festival in 2009. 16 April 2010 Turkey: Kurdish singer Rojda charged with 20 months imprisonment In a court in Diyarbakır, the Kurdish singer Rojda Şenses was charged with one year and eight months imprisonment for ‘conducting propaganda’ in two separate concerts 29 March 2010 Turkey: Killed for singing Kurdish folk songs in bar A young man, Emrah Gezer, was killed because he and his friends had been singing Kurdish folk songs in a bar 03 March 2010 Turkey: Ferhat Tunç sang at large rally for Alevi rights 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 09 November 2009 Turkey: Ferhat Tunç case postponed Ferhat Tunç's hearing on the 2nd of December is postponed to 9th of March 2005, for the purpose of gathering additional documents 08 December 2004 Turkey: Ferhat Tunç again to appear before court Ferhat Tunç will be tried due to article 159 of the (former Turkish Penal Code) because of using the phrase “deep judiciary” in an article he wrote. The first hearing will be held on December 2nd, 2004. Proposed sentence is imprisonment of 1 to 3 years 20 October 2004 Turkey: Testimony - the trials and arrests of Ferhat Tunç "1986: Arrested for political reasons. One week of interrogations, degradations and torture in the notorious prison camp DAL." Read the personal testimony of Turkish singer and human rights activist Ferhat Tunç 19 October 2004 Turkey: Censorship Past and Present A historical approach to the nature of censorship. Article. 01 October 2004 Turkey: Singer Ferhat Tunç arrested Singer and human rights activist Ferhat Tunç, jailed for alleged separatist incitement, said that he still faces charges even though he was earlier released from jail. 17 July 2003 Turkey: New media law heavily criticised The Turkish parliament has approved a controversial bill that critics charge will further curtail press freedoms and strengthen media monopolies 16 May 2002 Turkey: Ferhat Tunç acquitted Freemuse Award winner, Ferhat Tunç was acquitted this morning from the Diyarbarkir Criminal Court in Turkey 04 November 2010 Turkey: German musician detained and told to leave the country The German DJ Shantel was denied access into Turkey on 14 April 2010 when he arrived at the airport in Istanbul. His concerts had to be canceled. 23 April 2010 Turkey: American music video banned for 'explicit sexual content' Justin Timberlake and Ciara’s music video for the song 'Love Sex Magic' was banned in Turkey due to its explicit sexual content. 14 September 2009 Turkey: Yet another Kurdish song cleared in court 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' 29 April 2009 Turkey: Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç threatened in the virtual world Singer Ferhat Tunç has never felt as unsafe in Turkey as he does now. Death threats against him are published on the internet, and he faces yet another court case 01 November 2007 Turkey: Delegation in support of Ferhat Tunç EU-politician and famous Danish musician join Freemuse delegation, travelling to attend the court case in Turkey against Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunç on 4 October 2007 27 September 2007 Turkey: Anti-censorship initiative launched A new initiative against censorship was born when artists from Turkey launched the SSS - Sanatta Sansüre Son - which means "End to Censorship on Arts" 30 November 2006 Sivan Perwer Video interview with the famous Kurdish folk musician Sivan Perwer who has had numerous songs banned in Turkey. About the political role of the artist and the "Power of Music" 30 October 2006 Turkey: Government accused of "cultural genocide" In a 46-pages article, a British author describes the situation in the Kurdish region of Turkey as a “cultural genocide” and states that a new anti-terror law is misused against freedom of expression 27 October 2006 Turkey: Supporters of Kurdish tv station criminalised 56 Kurdish mayors who stood up for Danish-based Kurdish Roj TV have gone on trial in Turkey, charged with aiding and abetting the outlawed terrorist organisation Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) 27 September 2006 Turkey: New sound of Kurdish music after ban was lifted Aynur Dogan, once banned because of her Kurdish ethnicity, is perhaps the most recognizable of many Kurdish singers creating a new sound in Turkey 03 April 2006