The Şanlıurfa Bar Association has announced that the governorship has banned the Kurdish play Bêrû (Faceless).The Bar Association said that Bêrû, which was expected to be staged in the Tahir Elçi Conference Hall on 14 November, was banned indefinitely by the decision of the Şanlıurfa Governorship in the city centre and other districts on 13 November.
The Bar association made a statement on social media stating that the play has been banned “in the Şanlıurfa province borders, including the city centre and other districts, by the 13.11.2020 dated decision of the Şanlıurfa Governorship. We submit this to the public attention with our respect”.
The play was banned under decree no. 22699. The governorship has not yet made a statement to the public regarding the decision.
‘Hostility towards the Kurdish language’
Bêrû has been banned once before. In Gaziosmanpaşa it was banned on the grounds of “disturbing the peace” just hours before the play was due to be staged as part of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s support programme for private theatres.
Turkis Interior Minister İsmail Çataklı had claimed that the play, whose director was Dario Fo, was Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) propaganda. Many people criticised the ban, calling it “Hostility towards the Kurdish language”.
