In a letter published by the Persian service of ISNA on Friday, the artists wrote, “Stop Erdogan’s war machine. A catastrophe has happened. An awful crime is being perpetrated.”
“You are the real power. Return peace, calm and living in beauty to the region. You can do it. We are with you,” they added.
Members of the group, which remained anonymous, also wrote, “As representatives of Turkey’s history, culture, religion and civilization, you have a duty to stop the war machine and crazy and fatal imperialism. This is your and our real mission.
“Let us recollect the new Turkey with its brilliant literature, wonderful music, lovely voices of its singers, Istanbul and its fascinating nights, beautiful architecture, kind hospitable people, and the joie de vivre underway in its streets.
“The war ruins all these beautiful recollections from your culture and civilization and will leave nothing except killings, bloodshed and homelessness.”
Kurdish militias in northern Syria have been a crucial U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. But Turkey launched an attack on the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces after U.S. troops withdrew about two weeks ago.
Turkey and the Kurds agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Friday.
The assault on the Kurds has been censured by many celebrated cultural figures and artists around the world.
Earlier on October 11, Kurdish Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor announced during his London concert that he would cancel his upcoming concert in Istanbul in protest over Turkey’s assault on the Kurds in Syria.
Source: Tehran Times