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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/04/war-arts-turkey
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| There is no war on the arts in Turkey | There is no war on the arts in Turkey |
| (30 days later) | |
| Your article (Report, 18 May), by claiming that "PM Erdogan is threatening to withdraw state support from the country's theatres after his daughter said she was insulted by an actor during a play", gives the impression that the privatisation of state-funded theatres is a war declared on the arts in Turkey. You also refer to "100 mostly Kurdish journalists still in jail awaiting trial". Despite these startling claims, no evidence is cited. | Your article (Report, 18 May), by claiming that "PM Erdogan is threatening to withdraw state support from the country's theatres after his daughter said she was insulted by an actor during a play", gives the impression that the privatisation of state-funded theatres is a war declared on the arts in Turkey. You also refer to "100 mostly Kurdish journalists still in jail awaiting trial". Despite these startling claims, no evidence is cited. |
| The decision to privatise theatres is in line with practice in several nations, including in Europe, and has no relation to the alleged incident involving Ms Erdogan. No evidence to substantiate this claim is provided. It is irresponsible to personalise the theatre debate and insinuate that the government is acting in anger. On the contrary, the Turkish government continues to support private theatres by allocating funds through the ministry of culture and tourism and making theatre halls available for free. The AK party government's track record in supporting theatres is clear: 35 new theatre halls have been opened since 2003 and the number of seats has been increased from 8,294 in 2002 to 20,808 in 2012. | The decision to privatise theatres is in line with practice in several nations, including in Europe, and has no relation to the alleged incident involving Ms Erdogan. No evidence to substantiate this claim is provided. It is irresponsible to personalise the theatre debate and insinuate that the government is acting in anger. On the contrary, the Turkish government continues to support private theatres by allocating funds through the ministry of culture and tourism and making theatre halls available for free. The AK party government's track record in supporting theatres is clear: 35 new theatre halls have been opened since 2003 and the number of seats has been increased from 8,294 in 2002 to 20,808 in 2012. |
| Claims regarding jailed journalists and their ethnic identity are also wrong. Those in prison are charged with such crimes as attempting to forcibly change the constitutional order, belonging to armed terrorist groups, including the outlawed PKK, robbery, military desertion, murder, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and fraud. The full list of these people and the charges against them is available on the website of the Turkish ministry of justice. Zeynep Ersahin-Asık Press officer, Turkish embassy | Claims regarding jailed journalists and their ethnic identity are also wrong. Those in prison are charged with such crimes as attempting to forcibly change the constitutional order, belonging to armed terrorist groups, including the outlawed PKK, robbery, military desertion, murder, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and fraud. The full list of these people and the charges against them is available on the website of the Turkish ministry of justice. Zeynep Ersahin-Asık Press officer, Turkish embassy |
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