The concert that artist Ilkay Akkaya was going to give in Urfa on 25 September was banned by the governor's office as it was "not deemed appropriate".

Urfa Governor's Office of Legal Affairs Branch rejected the application for permission for the concert, saying: "The organization of the concert event was not deemed appropriate in terms of general security, public order and security."

Akkaya's concert in Mardin on 24 September was also banned by the Mardin Governorship on the grounds that it was "not deemed appropriate". The Mardin Governor's Office claimed that "some of the members of Akkaya's team" were "praising" Abdullah Öcalan, and that the determination was made "as a result of research conducted in the national media".

Ilkay Akkaya, reacting to the ban decision, shared the following on her social media accounts: "Another ban has been added and it will obviously increase. I have experienced this hundreds of times over 34 years. I have only sung about equality, justice, love and freedom everywhere I have been to. I tried to convey these feelings wherever I went. It will continue to be like this from now on. This is how I am and I will never give up."