An investigation has been launched against the Istanbul Municipality’s (IMM) “Starting from the Middle” exhibition at ArtIstanbul Feshane. IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu commented on the investigation: “It’s a shame! It’s a disgrace on behalf of democracy.”
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into an exhibition titled “Starting from the Middle” at ArtIstanbul Feshane, organized by IBB, on charges of “inciting the public to enmity or humiliation”.
The exhibition has been held at the Feshane building in Eyüp. The exhibition is accused of “inciting the public to hatred and enmity”. As part of the investigation, an official from İBB Kültür A.Ş. was questioned. After the official denied responsibility, the prosecutor’s office wrote a letter to the General Secretariat of the IMM Presidency, requesting that the identity and address of those responsible for organizing the exhibition be determined and reported to the prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor’s office plans to interview these individuals once their identities are revealed by the IMM.
The exhibition called “Starting from the Middle” was opened by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on June 23 at Art Istanbul Feshane. The exhibition showcased over 400 works of art by 300 artists curated by 19 curators. Unfortunately, the exhibition has been targeted by a group who claimed that it contained “LGBT propaganda and paintings with sexual content”.
The Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Ekrem İmamoğlu expressed his astonishment regarding a recent investigation in a statement. He stated that every day they are faced with surprises. On one hand, these surprises are expected whereas on the other hand, they are not. The accusations made against the Municipality are so severe that they require the prosecutor’s office to take action by calling for testimony. The prosecutor’s office has described the accusations as “works that incite hatred and enmity”. İmamoğlu believes that the economic prosperity and peace of a country are directly proportional to its development in democracy. He criticized the recent actions taken by the prosecutor’s office in relation to the exhibition, stating that it is a shameful act and a disgrace in the name of democracy. İmamoğlu believes that such actions create an environment where no one wants to visit the country. He called on the government officials to take responsibility and prevent any such permanent damage to the country’s reputation. He believes that such incidents tend to increase as the election approaches. He concluded by saying that it is a disgrace in the name of democracy.
