The concert performance by the Armenian violinist Ara Malikian, as part of the “Capital Cultural Road” Festival program of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture, was canceled without specifying the reason, according to Bianet.
The concert was to be held at the Presidential Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall on June 1.
The people who bought tickets were informed with a message about the cancellation.
The “Cultural Road Festival” is held in Ankara and İstanbul with the organization of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The festival, which will start tomorrow (May 28) and last for 16 days, hosts nearly 2,000 events.
A press conference was held at İstanbul Atatürk Cultural Center on 12 May, with the participation of Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the festival program was announced.
The press statement published on the official website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also includes information about Ara Malikian’s concert.
However, as of May 27, 2022, at 12:25, no information is available on the websites csoadaankara.ktb.gov.tr and baskentkulturyolu.com, of the Ministry of Culture, about Ara Malikian’s concert.
Defining Ara Malikian as an “enemy of the Turks”, some Twitter users called on the Ministry of Culture to cancel the concert yesterday.
The world-famous Ara Malikian performed in İstanbul and İzmir in 2012 and 2019, respectively.
Meanwhile, tickets for Malikian’s concert to be held at İstanbul Zorlu PSM on June 9 are still available.
