Tens of thousands attend music festival in Cizre

ŞIRNAK

Famous singers have taken to the stage at the music festival held in the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Cizre district, attended by tens of thousands of people.

Pop singer Soner Sarıkabadayı first appeared on the giant stage within the scope of the event organized by Hikmet Eraslan, the senior manager of Dosso Dossi Holding, with the support of the Şırnak Governor’s Office and the district governor’s office of Cizre, in the Mem-ü Zin Park on the banks of the Tigris River.

Later, rapper Sefo and pop singers Kurtuluş Kuş and Burak Bulut took the stage.

Eraslan also gave a DJ show at the concert attended by tens of thousands of people. The concert, where a laser show was also held and there was a fireworks display, lasted until the late hours of the night.

Posting on his Twitter account regarding the festival, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said, “Today, in the lands where peace reigns... Tens of thousands are at the Şırnak Cizre Music Festival.”

“I would like to express my endless gratitude to our people for their participation. This region was previously known with terror, which is now a safe area,” Şırnak Governor Osman Bilgin said.

“Unfortunately, the PKK terrorist organization and its offshoots did everything they could to prevent this concert from being successful. They do not want the happiness of these people. As the state, we will continue to do our best for the happiness of these people,” he added.

“Better tomorrows await our Şırnak as long as we join hands, don’t sow discord among us and don’t bring traitors among us. The people of Şırnak will no longer cry but will laugh.”

Eraslan stated that he is very happy to be with his fellow countrymen in Cizre and said, “Our aim here is to have music and art touch every part of Türkiye.”

Eraslan, who is also a fashion designer, said he held a fashion show in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. “We saw that our people were curious and visited the region in other works we did, which makes us really happy.”

“This is a social responsibility project that we carry out in order to develop industry and tourism in the eastern and southeastern Anatolia regions,” he added.

Bade Evran, one of the concert attendees, stated that her dream was to go to a concert and that she was amazed by the songs she liked the most.

“We want such events to be held in Cizre and expect them to continue for the happiness of the people,” said Kader Gökdemir, another attendee.

Prior to the festival, detention orders were issued for 19 people by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds that they will “provoke the concert.”

Fifteen people were detained in the operation organized by the police department’s anti-terror unit in Cizre and Silopi districts, they continue to search for the other four.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.