MLSA Turkey has briefed the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on bans on Kurdish concerts and theater performances. According to the communication, since 2019, at least 28 Kurdish events have been banned in 16 cities across Turkey for various reasons. Among these banned Kurdish events, 18 were concerts, eight were theater plays, and the list also includes a stand-up show and a literary talk.

In its analysis examining the right to assembly and demonstration in Turkey, focusing on the Oya Ataman group cases, MLSA discussed bans on Kurdish concerts, theater, and other cultural events. Referring to its previous briefing on the Ulusoy case last year, MLSA communicated that since the beginning of 2024, at least two Kurdish concerts and two Kurdish theater plays have been canceled without just cause. The banned events of 2024 include the theater play "Qral u Travis" and a concert by Metin-Kemal Kahraman.

MLSA stated in its communication that the Council should urge Turkey to provide information and end arbitrary practices by administrative authorities.

What is a 9.2 Notification?

A 9.2 Notification refers to communications made by non-governmental organizations to the Committee of Ministers, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights' decisions, to inform the Committee. MLSA frequently submits 9.2 Communications about violations of freedom of expression in Turkey, thereby keeping the Council informed. In 2024, MLSA submitted notifications for the Öner and Türk case groups and the Işıkırık and Türkiye case groups and shared findings from its trial monitoring program with the Committee of Ministers at the beginning of March.

Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)

Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) is a non-profit organization founded in Istanbul (registered as Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği) founded in December 2017 to respond to an urgent and growing need for a return to democracy and normalization in Turkey by providing pro bono legal support to journalists whose freedom of expression is violated. MLSA’s legal unit provides legal representation and counseling services to journalists whose freedom of expression is threatened without considering their affiliations, political views, gender or ethnicity. MLSA legal unit also conducts strategic litigation services where there is a systematic violation of freedom of expression. MLSA also maintains a trial monitoring program since 2017; the program has monitored more than 2.500 hearings in all over the country. The program monitors cases where the freedom of expression and or freedom of assembly is concerned.