Turkish Filmmakers Gather at 67th Berlinale to Call for Solidarity Against Injustice
Filmmakers in Turkey are facing difficult circumstances due to the current political climate of oppression and censorship proliferated by the Turkish government. A collective of Turkish filmmakers addressed this issue on Tuesday with a call for solidarity at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.
support in their fight against injustice
The situation for filmmakers - and other individuals or organizations in Turkey - who oppose official views maintained by the Turkish goverment, is becoming increasingly difficult. The practice of "blacklisting" undesired individuals seems to become commonplace and those affected may face uncertain consequences. The range of possible measures can include the blocking of websites, increased surveillance and other measures deemed necessary by the government to suppress opposition. This development has led filmmakers from Turkey to call for solidarity with the aim to make colleagues across the globe aware of the dire circumstances and to join forces in the fight against injustice. We decided to publish the call in full via this news article:
"Urgent Call For Solidarity!
The Turkish government has declared war against all who oppose the ongoing state oppression, censorship, injustice and the ones who are calling for peace in Turkey. Thereupon, rights and freedoms have been violated under the conditions of a State of Emergency. Academics who call for peace and civil servants have been removed and banned from their public service positions, while journalists and politicians have been arrested and put in prison. Filmmakers took their share from this pressure by being blacklisted and their artistic facilities have been subjected to heavy constraints.
We, the filmmakers of Turkey, who came together at the Berlin International Film Festival, are underlining our position with this very first call for peace. Therefore, we are calling for support from our colleagues all over the world to rise up in solidarity against censorship, oppression and war politics.
Filmmakers for Peace"
The event has also been filmed and can be watched on YouTube via the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWf3QZ4_BPY
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