Do you want to make Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan happy? Don’t give him records, Spotify subscriptions or concert tickets: apparently, Ankara’s number one is not a big fan of music (to put it mildly) and in Turkey they have had tangible proof. The Turkish government has, in fact, announced that from July 1st all anti-Covid measures will lapse, including the curfew and Sunday confinements. The nightlife around Istabul and its surroundings can therefore start again, yes, but without music. “Do not be offended, but no one has the right to disturb others at night,” said Erdogan in announcing the drastic decision to close the concert halls and stop the music in the clubs at midnight. “Yes, we are offended” replied thousands of indignant young people, launching the hashtag #kusurabakiyoruz on social networks. It is not a question of gatherings due to the fear of contagion, Turkish civil society is indignant, it is a totally authoritarian measure that aims to change the lifestyle of the youngest.
The response of the artists
Strong and inevitably provocative also the responses of many Turkish artists and singers who commented with disdain on the president’s decision: “If the music bothers you, don’t listen to it,” the singer Gaye Su Akyol pressed on Twitter, addressing Erdogan directly. “We are talking about real ailments – he added – like the Ramadan siren at 3 am that wakes up the sick, the elderly and children”.
A measure that leaves even artists notoriously sided in favor of the government astonished and disappointed, such as singer Demet Akalin who in recent days tweeted cryptically: “We don’t understand.”
Discomfort and annoyance
But it will be especially the managers of clubs and Turkish entrepreneurs who have been waiting for the reopening without time limits for a year and a half and who will now find themselves forced to turn off the speakers and clear the stages at midnight. “From the beginning we have said that the bans are ideological – said the leader of the main opposition party, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu – Erdogan, if you talk about inconvenience, know that the country is annoyed by you”.