06-12-2009
Istanbul - The Turkish singer Serdar Ortac says he regrets his behavior in 1991 towards the Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya in an interview with Milliyet.
Ahmet Kaya was born in Malatya in 1957. Before he became famous, he worked as a taxi driver in Istanbul. In 1999 he was to be honored with the Musician of the Year award at the televised annual music awards ceremony of Show TV. But then he said he would like to sing in Kurdish and Turkish singers attacked him with knives and forks, including Ebru Gundes and Serdar Ortac. They also started singing the Turkish national anthem.
As a result, Ahmet Kaya he fled to France and he was sentenced to 3 years, 9 months in absentia. In 2000, he died due to heart attack and is known as one of the most famous Kurdish singers from Turkey.
“I’m very sorry. One couldn’t sing in Kurdish and speak in Kurdish in 1999. I was very ignorant, like many other young Turks. Ahmet Kaya had no guilt, he should have got the change to sing in Kurdish. We learn now, thanks to the Turkish government to live together. I don’t have anything against Kurdish music, but Turkish soldiers shouldn’t die again (Photo: haber7.com).
© Rudaw
