MIDDLE EAST PROFILES SERIES – INTERVIEW WITH TURKEY’S EMRE YILMAZ – PART 2

Emre Yilmaz joins Iran’s Kiosk band members, Arash Sobhani and Mo Talani to play one of their hit songs “It Never Rains Here, Morteza”

Cassie Balfour of The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict on Censorship in Turkey

In a relatively democratic country like Turkey, suppression of free speech can be harder to pinpoint. Not all censorship of defiant artists and writers is carried out by a repressive government’s secret police.  According to Emre Yilmaz and his friends, censorship in Turkey can be subtle and, often, musicians end up censoring themselves.  Although musicians have been put on trial or thrown in jail for violating Turkey’s nebulous and flexible laws surrounding what constitutes “insulting the Turkish nation”, musicians and the media sometimes self-edit for fear of financial reprisal or the repercussions on their career, thereby doing the state’s work for them.

Censorship, and freedom of expression “norms” are an important factor for individuals engaged in engaged in civil resistance, including musicians and artists, to consider. Earlier this summer when anti-government protestors took to the street in droves, the mainstream Turkish media ignored the conflict (and were, fittingly, mercilessly mocked for it). But, according to critics of the Erdogan administration, his government targets media he believes to be too critical by utilizing fines, suing journalists and cartoonists, and shutting down media outlets using loopholes in the law. Journalists are also thrown and jail and according to Reporters without Borders, Turkey’s press freedom is abysmal.

Prominent Iranian writer Azar Nafisi describes writers as “canaries in the mine; [for] what happens to them could happen to the society as a whole.” Writers and lyricists that are sanctioned for their critiques or subversive messages provide cues to the general public as to were they might also draw the line. But this climate of not knowing when your freedom of expression will be restricted fosters an environment where media outlets and artists feel pressure to say less rather than more, lest they attract the government’s gaze.

“Is this forbidden?
Is that forbidden?
Millions got offended
One by one
Is it all forbidden? 

Action is forbidden
Expression is forbidden
Enough, no more!”

As Emre and his friends explain there is an invisible “red line” on forbidden expression. One way that subversive musicians cross this invisible line is by amassing too much public support of their music. When this happens, the Turkish government will find a way to stifle their career, whether by trumping up charges against them or, even more subtly, by restricting their access to music festivals funded by the government or blocking media coverage of the musician(s). In this case, it’s actually better for a musician to stay under the radar by not gaining popular appeal, because that also keeps them under the government’s radar.

Emre and his friends, also fellow musicians, noted that there was a proliferation of songs and music that flourished out of the protests in Gezi Park. Hundreds of them! As Emre points out, the government isn’t actively censoring these protesters turned musicians, this might be because there is safety in numbers, or rather, lack of numbers and mass popular appeal. If one indie musician puts out a protest song and doesn’t suffer any repercussions at the hands of the government more will follow, especially if people are angry the media is not acknowledging their actions. Music has provided another outlet to express their dissatisfaction, and if one musician isn’t getting enough attention to warrant government intervention, there are hundreds of other musicians putting out subversive music, reaching different audiences.

Most civil resisters face some form of censorship, and musicians who dare to underline repressive treatment may be censored one way or another. Emre’s song “Sokaktayiz” or “We are on the Streets,” demonstrates nonviolent resistance and music as subversion. This song uses an arch, mocking tone to raise Turkey’s consciousness and to call attention to censorship and other repression in Turkey in general. And by singing boldly about these conditions he is creating a space for others to speak out. Civil resisters who create these spaces find the “red line” and cross it, reducing fear for everyone.

Cassie Balfour is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and an Editorial Assistant at ICNC. She had the opportunity to study and intern in Cairo, Egypt in 2012 where she witnessed first-hand how art was leveraged to create meaningful social change.

Executive Producers: Maziar Bahari, Daryn Cambridge, Tim O’Keefe
Produced by Jahanshah Javid
Directed by Tim O’Keefe, Arash Sobhani, Irene Su
Edited by Irene Su
Interviews by Jahanshah Javid, Arash Sobhani
Camera & Sound by Mohammad Talani, Jahanshah Javid
Freedom Beat logo animation by Sang Un Jeon
Freedom Beat Middle East Series animation by Beth Wexler
Music by Tim O’Keefe

Special thanks to Iranwire.com and The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict for their support & collaboration in the making of this series.