From 10 Artists, Rights Defenders to Erdoğan: Free Kavala

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Composer, rights activist, music professor Nigel Osborne from Edinburg University has brought a letter addressing President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan demanding that imprisoned Anadolu Kültür Executive Board Chair Osman Kavala be freed.

Petition to Erdoğan

10 artists, academics and rights defenders signed the petition that Prof. Osborne brought to İstanbul. The petition read:

“Mr. President,

We are group that came together in the “Solution to Conflict Through Culture: Building Peace and Art” program realized at Salzburg Global Seminar in 2014. We are using art and culture to develop mutual understanding between different societies and life styles, and to help resolving conflict. This is entirely a study outside of the politics. We each are attentive to remain as loyal citizens of our own countries.

We are making this call for you to immediately review the decision issued for Osman Kavala. Kavala is an elite member of our society and he is a person of principle. He is an honest, bright, attentive and a very generous person. He doesn’t only represent what we can give as an unofficial group but also is a perfect messenger for Turkish culture, empathy, passion, justice, tolerance and Turkish lifestyle.

We all know Kavala as a human to the deepest details. We have no doubt that he wouldn’t be in any effort to overthrow Republic of Turkey, its democracy and President. Like us Kavala is a loyal citizen as well. We believe his imprisonment is a mistake. If that is the case, we urge you to review the charges pressed against him.

“We want justice for Osman Kaval with the belief that it will be supportive to Turkey and its democracy”.

The signees are as follows:

British writer of Pakistani origin Anwar Akhtar, French producer and actress Tina Ellen Lee, director and theater player Michael Lessac, Andrea López-Portillo, American researcher Prof. Christina Maranci, director and producer Paula McFetridge, theater player and director Warren Nebe, Prof. Nigel Osborne, theater critic and journalist Clare Shine and British journalist Thomas de Waal.