Turkish pop singer's concert cancelled amid religious groups' protest

A Turkish events organiser has cancelled singer Irem Derici's concert in the southeastern city of Elazığ after religious groups protested the event, Duvar news site reported on Wednesday. 

A popular female pop singer, Derici was scheduled to appear on stage on September 30 at a local gastronomy festival in the city of Elazığ. However, political parties in city, including HUDA-PAR, the Welfare Party and Felicity (Saadet) Party protested Derici's concert saying that "it would pose a threat to the moral values of the city's residents". The pop singer is known for her support for LGBT rights.

In recent months, a string of events have been cancelled by cities and districts run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Critics and analysts say that the government attempted to wage a culture war in the run-up to next year’s general elections.

The Felicity Party, one of the three organisations that urged for the cancellation of Derici’s concert in Elazığ is among the six opposition parties belonging to a coalition alongside the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).