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February 10, 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tatlıses, Costner express support for Kurdish initiative

25 September 2009 / TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, İSTANBUL
Famous Turkish folk and arabesque singer İbrahim Tatlıses and American actor and director Kevin Costner have joined the ranks of celebrities supporting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's democratic initiative aimed at addressing various problems, including the Kurdish issue.

Tatlıses has called on the public to support the prime minister, who has taken the initiative to eliminate terrorism from the country and end a conflict that has cost the lives of about 40,000 people since 1984 and resulted in more than 17,000 unsolved murders in addition to the billions of dollars in military expenditure.

“We should support the prime minister. We should help him. Let's finish the job. They say we have been fighting terrorism for 30 years. What kind of fight is this? If we fight for another 30 years, it will not end. Let's finish it off because it is important to end it,” he said on Monday in Antalya, where he performed at a concert that was closed to the press.

The audience at the concert included Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, who praised Tatlıses. The well-known singer sang songs in Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish at the concert.

 Meanwhile, Costner, who has expressed his support for the government's Kurdish initiative, is expected to visit Turkey on Oct. 16.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairwoman Edibe Sözen said in a written statement on Wednesday that they had invited Costner to the AK Party's grand congress on Oct. 3 but the actor explained that it was not possible for him to be in Turkey on that date even though he would very much like to attend.

Sözen indicated that Costner, who had contacted the media department of the AK Party, conveyed his support for the democratic initiative because it shows the value Turkey attaches to human rights.

Academy Award-winner Costner visited İstanbul with his rock band, Modern West, for a concert in October 2007. He had also traveled to Ankara for a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. His name has been mentioned in connection with the leading role in a film that will depict the life of Atatürk.

 
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