Turkey cancels Kazdağı Ecology Festival for the fourth year in a row

Turkish authorities have cancelled Kazdağı Ecology Festival for the fourth year in a row, again citing the “risk of fire.” The festival’s organizer KazDağı Natural and Cultural Heritage Association said that the government’s intervention in different lifestyles has increased in recent years and pointed out the increasing number of cancelled festivals and concerts.

Tuesday June 20 2023 11:08 pm

Seçkin Sağlam / Gazete Duvar

Turkish authorities have cancelled Kazdağı (Mount Ida in English) Ecology Festival organized by KazDağı Natural and Cultural Heritage Association for the fourth year in a row, on the grounds that “a fire might break out.”

In fact, the Forestry Ministry had on May 9 authorized the festival, also known as “Kazdağı EKOFEST.” The festival was planned to take place between June 21-25 at Edremit Darıdere Natural Park with the theme “We exist with our rights.” However, the ministry in a June 17 decision withdrew its permission and announced the cancellation of the festival.

KazDağı Natural and Cultural Heritage Association chair Süheyla Doğan said that they are aware of a risk of fire which is why they moved the festival’s schedule to an earlier time, i.e. before July starts.

Doğan said that the government’s intervention in different lifestyles has increased in recent years and pointed out the increasing number of cancelled festivals and concerts. “There is a resistance against festivals and concerts throughout the country. Many singers have had their concerts banned. There is a serious intervention against living areas and lifestyles. The reason of last year’s and this year’s ban might be the same but we believe that our getting together is creating a disturbance,” Doğan said.

“EKOFEST is our right. Talking, having discourses, listening to music is our right. We will do whatever is possible to use these rights to the end.”

Kazdağı EKOFEST was held for the first time in 2014. It was cancelled in 2016 due to coup attempt, in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022 and 2023 due to a “risk of fire.” So, Kazdağı EKOFEST was held only five times in 10 years, with the cancellation of the sixth planned festival this year.

(English version by Didem Atakan)