Banned by Governorship, the Play Staged On the Street

Upon the proposal of Recep Gürkan, Mayor of Edirne province, the drama “Can” based on Can Yücel poems was staged on Edirne Saraçlar Avenue, closed to traffic. Governorship of Edirne didn’t let the play to be staged on Public Education Center of Edirne.

Play was seen by thousand theatergoers.

According to the news of Engin Özmen from Doğan News Agency, Kemal Kocatürk, both director and player of drama, said:

“Sometimes you just need to be on the street. The language of street is good for you. A man like Can Yücel loves to be on the street. Authorities forced us to play outside. Ministry of National Education found play’s script slangy and political as if it’s guilty to be political.”

What happened?

Edirne Cultural Center for Youth applied Public Education Center of Edirne for “Can” to be staged. A commission including teachers found the play’s script inappropriate and informed the directorship of Public Education Center.

Governorship of Edirne explained that play’s script had a slangy and political content and providing a stage for play was not possible.  

After the banning of play, Kocatürk said “Governorship wanted the theatre script from us. As if we are still living in 1980 military coup. What are they going to do with that script? I’ve played that drama two years ago in Edirne but didn’t occur any problem. Now they want to ban it.”

PEN TURKEY condemned the ban

PEN Turkey had condemened and made a statement related to the situation “Recently, our culture and art are attacked in a most violent and evident way.”

“It is unacceptable for drama CAN, a drama played several times before, to be banned by governorship of Edirne. This is a case of oppression and violence. We disapprove targeting and threating precious artists and writers who existed just to express their art and writings by supporters of ruling party and we stand by the writers and artists who are threatened and oppressed.“ (EKN/BD)

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