ISTANBUL, Turkey - A group of Kurdish actors was getting ready to perform a play in Istanbul's Sisli district on Friday, until police raided the Cemil Candas theatre.
The play, The King and Travis, was banned by Sisli mayor's office. The reason is not known.
Two actors from the Sano Ar troupe were surrounded by police inside the theatre. They were later expelled from the building.
The brother of one of the actors was detained in the raid.
The play had previously been banned in Agiri and Batman.
Actors and their fans believe the play was banned because it is in the Kurdish language.
Sano Ar said in a video message that they will not give up their right to perform in Kurdish.
"We will not leave the theatre. Let everyone know that Kurdish art is not without support. We will never abandon our language. We, as Kurdish artists who struggle for Kurdish art, say long live Kurdish theatre and Kurdish language," Bahoz Ozsunar, one of the members of the troupe, said.
A large number of police officers surrounded Cemil Candas Cultural Center and prevented the audience from entering the building.
"I have been standing here for two hours. Although I knew the event had been canceled, I still came here. I came for Deniz [Ozer] and myself," Xece, theater goer, told Rudaw.
"The only reason for the ban is because it is in Kurdish. I will not say anything else. We have been disrespected for hundreds of years. We will not tolerate this anymore," said Kocher, another theatre goer.
Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and lawyers condemned the ban on social media.
"This thing was carried out completely illegally. A paper was handed to our clients but it only says the play was banned without stating any reasons. This is a complete violation of the law," Dilsah Tas, lawyer for the actors, said.
"When it comes to Kurds, they [the state] only do discrimination. There is no other reason. They [the actors] are not linked to politics or parties. They are comedians who want to perform, theater goer Ahmed said.
This is not the first time that Kurdish plays and concerts have been banned in Turkey, where the Kurdish language is not permitted in official settings, except for limited hours of elective Kurdish classes in schools.
