Kurdish music group members detained after playing for concert organized by HDP

Two members of the Kurdish music group Hevra have been detained after playing for a concert organized by the HDP Youth Council in the western province of Kocaeli on Jan. 22, HDP lawmaker Gergerlioğlu announced.

Duvar English

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has announced that two members of the Kurdish music group Hevra were detained for singing in Kurdish.

Tagging the Justice Ministry in his tweet, Gergerlioğlu said: “After the concert organized by the HDP Youth Council yesterday in Kocaeli’s Darıca, the artists named Gencay Morkoç and Yusuf Keleş were detained. Detention still for this reason in the 21st century? Release them!"

Hevra also took the issue to Twitter, slamming the “arbitrary” detentions. “We hereby call on the rulership which cannot stand even one Kurdish song and tell them that oppressions can’t discourage us.”

Erdoğan leads in presidential race, outperforms expectations Google excessively recommends pro-government media outlets Half of Turkish men own gun, says foundation THY dismisses pilot for opposing regulation on praying in cockpit Turkey lifts visa requirement for six countries Family left homeless after landlord increases rent by five-fold