Yuval Ron Ensemble concert in Istanbul canceled

PanARMENIAN.Net - A concert of Yuval Ron Ensemble that was scheduled to be played Thursday, June 9, night in Istanbul was canceled after a group of activists calling themselves the Mavi Marmara Volunteers protested against it, saying the event, to be performed by Israeli musicians, was an insult to the nine activists killed on a humanitarian aid ship last year in an attack by Israel, Today’s Zaman reported.

The activists, in a message they released Thursday morning, said the concert, to be performed by the Yuval Ron Ensemble, was being organized by the Foundation of Writers and Journalists (GYV) and claimed the tickets were available at the Israeli Consulate. The statement claimed that the public was uneasy with the concert, which would have been played days after the anniversary of the “the martyrdom of nine Turkish citizens who were killed in the atrocious Israeli attack.” The statement claimed that the concert was purposefully looking to create agitation.

Mavi Marmara Volunteers, the group that made the statement, is believed to be affiliated with the Humanitarian Aid Association (İHH), which was the organizer of an aid flotilla to Gaza strip last year.

The Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADİP), which is part of the GYV, released a statement denying a number of claims made by the activists, including the claim that the band is from Israel. “Yuval Ron is of American origin, with members of different faiths,” it said. It also denied the activists' claims that the concert was being organized by Israel, adding that the group was to perform a large repertoire reflecting various cultures and faiths, including Muslim Hymns and soundtrack titles. However, about half an hour after this statement, KADİP announced that the event had been canceled.

KADİP officials said they canceled the concert out of concerns for safety and in anticipation of a protest by İHH supporters. They said "some segments" were trying to exploit what would normally be a concert of peace for their own propaganda, KADİP's Kudret Altındağ said, but there were also rumors that the cancellation could have been the result of a suggestion from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Yuval Ron Ensemble a group of Arab, Jewish and Christian artists.