The performance of the play “Qral and Travis” translated into Kurdish by Şano Ar at Istanbul Şişli Cemil Candaş Kent Cultural Center on the evening of February 16 was banned by Şişli District Governorate an hour before the start of the play without any justification. According to the news in Mesopotamia Agency, the theater actors reacted to the banning of the play and stated that they would not leave the stage. In their statement, the actors used the following expressions: “Today our play was banned by Şişli District Governorate. The police have closed the doors. They are not letting the audience in. We are also on the stage. We will not leave our stage, Kurdish art is not unclaimed. We apologize to our friends who bought tickets and came here. We understand your grievance. We are here. We will be here no matter what time it is.”
Şişli Cemil Candaş Cultural Center was blockaded by the police. The brother of Bahoz Özsunar and his assistant Uğur Özsunar were detained during the police intervention.
