Erkan's field diary: Fazıl Say controversy...

Our "internationally acclaimed" pianist Fazıl Say made himself a tool in the ongoing cultural war between the secularists and others. Personally, I always found his manners a bit showy and he also demonstrated now that he is quite phoney when it comes to politics. Although he now rejects part of what is attributed to him, I am not too suprised of what he had said. Unlike Orhan Pamuk, who triggered a backlash after which he decided to live in US, Mr. Say did not talk of the injustices or did not really question the status quo. In his childish level of politics he embodied a crude "white Turkish" position and voiced the angst of losing social privileges. Well, if he really said he will leave the country because "Islamists" won, then he can just fkfoff.

p.s. a pattern: well-known cultural producers talk to European press and this shapes the domestic agenda.

p.s. 2: for a more balanced coverage of Fazıl Say controversy here is a roundup:

My remarks misinterpreted, says Say

Renowned Turkish pianist Fazıl Say has said he didn't make any remarks about possibly leaving Turkey during a live broadcast on the private NTV channel Tuesday. In an interview with a

Fellow artists have their say on Say

Today's Zaman - Istanbul,Turkey
Earlier, Orhan Pamuk took on a mission like that," said Tuluyhan Uğurlu, another internationally acclaimed pianist from Turkey. ...

Not the Islamists, democracy won

A world-famous musician thinking of forever leaving Turkey should concern the entire nation. Fazıl Say is a pianist of ours whose fame has transcended boundaries.

Turkish pianist: Art is belittled in Turkey - Hürriyet

How can Fazıl be saved?

By ENGİN ARDIÇ, AKŞAM

The media turned its focus on acclaimed pianist-composer Fazıl Say as soon as he said he was thinking of moving elsewhere.

Pianist’s controversial remarks highlight bitter contradiction

Renowned Turkish pianist Fazıl Say has been dominating the pages of Turkish dailies over the past few days due to his statements in an interview with a German daily.

Renowned musician Fazil Say continues his flood of criticisms, irks government

Is it more difficult to stay or to leave?

Remarks made by famous pianist Fazıl Say that “the wives of all the ministers are headscarved; they are 70 percent and we are 30 percent.

The Fazıl Say case

By TAHA AKYOL, MİLLİYET

Those who once harshly criticized author Orhan Pamuk for his statements against Turkey without taking his identity as a "man of letters" into consideration now passionately defend Fazıl Say, saying that he is a prominent artist.

Pianist

By NEDİM HAZAR, ZAMAN

Does the fact that Fazıl Say kept silent until a few days ago mean that he was content with the previous situation of the country?

Fazıl Say's right to leave

By MUSTAFA ERDOĞAN, STAR

The problem does not lie in the desire of one of our citizens (Fazıl Say) to leave the country but in the reason why he wants to move elsewhere.

Yusuf Kanlı: Say and freedoms

Penslingers of the Islamist media in Turkey are continuing attacks on eminent pianist Fazıl Say over his complaint in an interview with the German Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that because of the advances achieved by political Islam in Turkey the country was becoming so conservative and moving away from secularism so much that people like him have become a minority and that he may consider leaving his homeland to settle abroad.There was of course some exaggeration in what Say had told an interview with the German newspaper and this country will never become such a backward country where people like Say can face a very serious existential threat. But, at the same time, what Say said was

Erkan's field diary

Fazıl Say controversy...