Artist Ferhat Tunç drew the attentions to the imprisonment sentence issued as well as other lawsuits filed against him. “I will continue to think, to speak and to produce work from abroad for a while,” Tunç said.
Here’s Tunç’s statement: “They did not see the two-year imprisonment sentence against me sufficient, opening new investigations and filing new lawsuits one after another with allegations of ‘making illegal organization propaganda’ and ‘illegal organization membership.’ They targeted me. I have never, not one day, make concessions with their pressure and lies. I have never separated my identity as an artist from my responsibility to the people. I lived with my voice, but I’ve always decided for the harmony of that voice by myself – and I have never felt remorse for that. Today I’ve set out on a difficult journey with my identity, personality, my companion the baglama, and my voice; leaving behind a life I’ve built with my own hands and an injured, exhausted country. I will continue to think, to speak and to produce work from abroad for a while; not taking a step back. The mind and conscience point to disrupting silence togat. We can get through these times with the least damage with our collective work and fight; taking a big breath afterwards. We can dream together and win again.”
05.03.2019
bianet.org