Nuriye Gülmen and Rıdvan Akbaş arrested

  • actual
  • 08:55 12 August 2020
  • |
img

İSTANBUL - Taken into custody in a police raid against İdil Cultural Center ahead of Grup Yorum concert in İstanbul, Nuriye Gülmen and Rıdvan Akbaş have been arrested, Yasemin Karadağ, Fırat Kaya and Ezgi Kul have been released on probation.

Detained in a police raid against İdil Cultural Center in İstanbul on August 5, Rıdvan Akbaş and Nuriye Gülmen, an academic discharged from public service by a Statutory Decree, have been arrested.
 
Sharing a message on Twitter, People's Law Bureau has said, "Our clients Nuriye Gülmen and Rıdvan Akbaş have been arrested. Our clients Yasemin Karadağ, Fırat Kaya and Ezgi Kul have been released on probation."
 
BACKGROUND
 
While Grup Yorum band announced that they would hold a concert in İstanbul on August 9, the Governor's Office of İstanbul banned it. Ahead of this concert, the police raided İdil Cultural Center on August 5, detaining Betül Varan, Bahar Kurt, Dilan Poyraz, Eren Erdem, Sercan Toptancı, Barış Yüksel, Rıdvan Akbaş, Nuriye Gülmen and Fırat Kaya.
 
The cultural center where the group has been conducting its activities has been raided by the police for over 10 times over the last two years. During the raids, instruments of Grup Yorum members were either broken or gone missing, their music books were also damaged.
 
According to a statement by Grup Yorum, over 30 people were arrested in those raids. Three members of the band are still arrested.
 
Grup Yorum members İbrahim Gökçek and Helin Bölek went on a hunger strike, then on a death fast, demanding an end to the ban on their concerts and police raids to their cultural center and the release of arrested band members. They were both arrested at the time.
 
While Bölek was released on November 20, 2019, Gökçek was released by an interim ruling based on a forensic medical report on February 24.
 
Helin Bölek lost her life on the 288th day of her death fast on April 3, 2020 and İbrahim Gökçek lost his life on the 323rd day of his fast on May 7. After the band made an application for a concert, Gökçek ended his death fast on May 5 and was hospitalized for treatment.
 
The Governor's Office of İstanbul rejected their application to hold a concert in Yenikapı Meeting Area.

View More Articles

09:55 Weapons destroyed, a historic step towards peace
09:38 95 years have passed since the Zilan Massacre
09:25 People await regulation in Parliament
11/07/2025
20:17 Davutoglu: What we must do now is leading the new era
20:12 I hope this step will bring good results says Erdogan
20:09 Bese Hozat: We took this step with a clear decision
17:07 Echo of historic ceremony in Amed: Demand constitutional guarantees for those who lay down arms
16:51 CHP Chair Ozel: Process must be managed in Parliament with swift and decisive steps
16:27 Names of participants in historical ceremony of PKK
16:15 We reached end of our work on commission says Parliament Speaker
16:04 Peace Mothers: The state has no more excuses, it must take action
15:32 Nechirvan Barzani: Important and encouraging step
14:36 People watch historical ceremony of PKK with rapt attention
14:13 Footage of historic ceremony of PKK
14:08 Critical threshold has been passed says AKP Spokesperson
14:07 Founding leadership of the PKK kept his promise says Bahceli
13:21 Details of historic ceremony: Legal regulations needed
12:51 KCK Executive Council Co-chair Besê Hozat led historic ceremony
12:44 First images from historic ceremony
12:29 Delegation leaves the site after witnessing historic ceremony
11:58 Peace and Democratic Society Group: We voluntarily destroy our weapons
11:26 Ceremony to be in Şikefta Casenê
11:12 DBP, HDK, and DEM Party arrive at ceremony site
10:58 People awaiting for the “Peace and Democratic Society Group”
10:02 ‘Dream Travelers’ to commemorated with events: Let’s unite on a common ground
10:00 International delegation heads to ceremony site
09:11 Citizens participating in public meetings: The state must take steps
09:10 Ali Bozan: It’s turn of the state to take steps
09:09 Spent 30 years in prison: Ill prisoners should be release for peace
09:09 Tuberculosis patient prisoner subjected handcuffed examination for 3 years
08:07 Delegation on the way to Sulaymaniyah for ceremony
10/07/2025
16:35 He releases from prison after 30 years: We will continue the struggle
16:04 Journalists heading to PKK ceremony: We will witness historic moments
14:35 Call against increasing repression by the Iranian regime
12:33 People set off from Amed for PKK's ceremony
12:22 Censorship of Ajansa Welat by Instagram
12:19 Future of process depends on the government's attitude says Journalist Er
10:42 She lost 2 children during conflicts: Commission must be established, steps must be taken
10:29 Sile Municipality Mayor Kabadayı detained
10:26 Call from Roboskî to mothers of soldiers: If we join hands, peace will come
10:13 KCK: We are determined to take the step Leader Apo has asked of us
09:27 Nature of Şirnex to be plundered with 10 new energy activities
09/07/2025
22:04 Ocalan's video message celebrated in North and East Syria
21:46 Details of the Damascus meeting: 10 March agreement must be fully implemented
21:21 Abdullah Aksu releases from prison after 31 years
21:05 DAANES and transitional government meeting ends
16:38 Mayor Karalar and Deputy Mayor Sahin dismissed
16:19 Roadmap of Ocalan for solution will contribute to shaping future says DBP Co-chair
15:40 DEM Party will be in Sulaymaniyah on 11 July says Aysegul Dogan
15:15 AANES Delegation to meet with transitional government