Culture Ministry demand stirs debate among state artists

ANKARA

Musicians, who work in the purview of the Culture and Tourism Ministry and are facing a deduction of their salary for their work outside the ministry, have filed a lawsuit demanding the procedure be annulled.

On Mar. 13, 2023, the General Directorate of Fine Arts of the Culture and Tourism Ministry made a decision regarding the payment of a certain share of the revolving fund for the earnings of the musicians within the ministry for "extra" work outside the activities of the ministry.

The Union of Culture and Laborers, of which the artists are members, filed a lawsuit with the Ankara Administrative Court for the annulment of the said procedure.

"The artists are already paying income tax to the Finance Ministry on the wages they earn for these activities. The fact that the General Directorate of Fine Arts is again issuing debts to the artists from this wage on which income tax has already been paid is unlawful," the petition argues.

The petition further stated that a similar practice is not applied to theater and opera artists working in TV series.

"Although the artists working within both the State Theaters and the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet received much higher salaries outside the institution, the General Directorate of Fine Arts within the same ministry does not deduct salary from these artists."

In the letter sent to the relevant units, 45,000 Turkish Liras for orchestras, 25,000 liras for choirs, 25,000 liras for ensembles, 20,000 liras for artistic directors and assistant artistic directors, 20,000 lira for conductors and assistant conductors, 15,000 liras for vocal artists, 10,000 liras for soloist instrumental artists, 2,500 liras for instrumental artists and 3,000 liras for stage artists were demanded.