June 4, 2002

The security forces were not able to tolerate the Kurdish songs sung by the Koma Asmin group on the last night of the Diyarbakir Second Culture and Art Festival, whose main theme was "multi-culture."   Conducting a raid on the concert hall, the security forces detained the group.  Three plays were banned on the first day of the festival on grounds that they were in the Kurdish language.  Furthermore, the security forces also raided a slide show and detained photograph artist Yucel Tunca.

On the last day of the festival, which began on 25 May, a street concern was
given by the Kamkarlar, an Iranian Kurdish music group; the opening of the bust of Ahmet Arif, a famous poet from Diyarbakir, was conducted and prizes were distributed in memory of Arif; a panel entitled "Third Teacher Ahmede Xani" was held; and writers signed books. During the performance of the Koma Asmin music group, the enthusiasm reached its peak.  The members of the Koma Asmin group, which performed on the last night of the festival and which conducts activities within the framework of the Mesopotamia Culture Center, were detained for singing songs in the Kurdish language.  Performing on the last night of the festival, the Koma Asmin group sang the "Herne Pes" song at the request of the masses.  As a result, the police raided the concert hall and detained eight female members of the group.  The detained Koma Asmin members were taken to the DGM yesterday afternoon.  Detained group members Besime Yagi, Kadriye Senses, Gulbahar Kavcu, Serap Sonmez, Nurcan
Degirmenci, Yesim Coskun, Arife Duztas, Zelal Gokce, Kader Bastas, Ruken Gokce, and Selda Sezgin were taken to the DGM Public Prosecutor's Office today in the afternoon. The Koma Asmin group members were still being questioned when our newspaper was published.
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