Amed City Theatre, Middle East Cinema Academy, Ma Music Academy, Women's Culture, Arts and Literature Association (KASED) and Dicle Culture and Art Association made a joint statement regarding the appointment of a trustee to Hakkari Municipality won by the DEM Party in the 31 March elections.

In the statement made in front of Dicle Culture and Art Association, Amed City Theatre actor Ömer Şahin drew attention to the responsibility of artists to defend social justice, freedom and human rights and described the arrest of Hakkari Co-Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış and the appointment of a trustee as a great injustice.

Stating that the appointment of a trustee to replace an elected co-mayor is an undemocratic practice and disrespectful to the will of the people, Şahin said: “Art is the greatest defender of free will and independent society. The government is harming the democratic process in this way. The Hakkari Governorate's ban on demonstrations and events is an attempt to prevent the people from showing their democratic reaction. The basis of art is to express freedom and this is necessary not only for artists but for the whole society. With the bans, human rights are being trampled on and the removal of elected representatives of the people jeopardises social peace."

Emphasising that artists and art institutions have a responsibility to defend social peace, Şahin said: “This situation in Hakkari endangers the demand for peace and democracy of society. We will defend our labour and will. Our call is to the democratic forces and the resisting people in Amed; do not remain silent against injustice and injustice.”