The Adana Governorate prevented four members of Kolektîfa Rîtmên Azad from performing at the March 8 event. The reason cited was ongoing investigations against them for “illegal organization membership” and “illegal organization propaganda”.
According to the report by Hamdullah Yağız Kesen in Mezopotamya Agency, Yasemin Göksu Demir and Kolektîfa Rîtmên Azad Music Group were scheduled to perform at the rally organized by Adana Women’s Platform on March 9. Citing investigations against four band members for “membership in an illegal organization” and “making illegal organization propaganda”, the Adana Governorate banned them from performing at the rally. The governor’s decision was verbally communicated to the organizing committee.
Reacting to the decision, Kolektîfa Rîtmên Azad Music Group said that the Adana Governorate’s decision was arbitrary. They mentioned that this was the first time they had faced such a ban and that the investigation against them had been ongoing for a year. They added, “Yesterday we performed in Mersin. However, 80 kilometers away, we are not allowed to perform. We do not accept this arbitrary decision.”