As part of the multicultural endeavor, a state theater in Turkey will stage a play partly in Kurdish for the first time ever, the Anatolia news agency reported. The move is considered to be part of the government's democratization initiative, a plan yet to be delineated that is hoped will solve the decades-old Kurdish issue in Turkey. The play, called "Living Death" and about honor killings, will be performed on Oct. 1 in Diyarbakır.
Minister of Culture Ertuğrul Günay said the state theaters are open for the use of all private theater companies and that there are no restrictions on them related to the language of performance. According to the established procedure, on the days when the state theaters do not use the stages for their own performances, private theater companies are able to use the stages. Günay said the theaters will be open to all plays in the new arts season, which will start on Oct. 1.
To book space on state theater stages, companies apply to the local governorates and the State Theaters General Management and inform them about the nature and content of the play. After the approval of the governorate, the state theater administration reserves the stages for the companies. If the play is staged for any public cause, the state theater does not demand rent.
Günay said that the performances in Kurdish will be evaluated according to the normal procedure. He added that the ministry is preparing to stage the Kurdish epic of “Mem'u Zin,” by Ahmadi Hani.
