Turkish singer İrem Derici has concert cancelled after targeted by Islamist parties

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Turkish singer İrem Derici had her concert cancelled in the eastern province of Elazığ after she was targeted by Islamist parties HÜDA-PAR, New Welfare Party and Felicity Party.

Derici was invited to a gastronomy festival in the province and scheduled to take the stage on Sept. 30. However, HÜDA-PAR provincial head Yasin Kavaklı claimed that Derici was “not appropriate for the moral values of Elazığ people” and that the singer “is a person who adopts and supports perversion.”

“Those who organized this festival should be in an effort to show that they do not display the same stance as perverts supporting homosexuality and should abandon this mischoice,” Kavaklı said.

Following this statement, the organizers of the festival announced that they had cancelled Derici’s concert, according to reporting by the daily Sözcü.

The head of the Elazığ Restauranteurs and Confectioners Chamber, Zülfü Tarhan, said that they had taken such a decision due to the “oppression of some NGOs and political parties.” “İrem Derici had also participated in a shopping mall opening in 2021, but no one had shown a reaction back then. However when we this year announced that İrem Derici would take the stage at our festival, they started to form oppression by creating a perception,” Tarhan said.

“It seems as if our country has no other problems left other than İrem Derici. We have been forced to cancel the concert.”  

Derici slammed the decision of cancellation, saying that she will meet with her fans in Elazığ “as soon as possible.” “I would not discriminate people according to their color, language, religion, race or gender! I ust love (people)! And a lot! I love you a lot Elazığ!” she wrote on her Instagram account.

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