Bilal Seçkin
ANKARA- Director Nejla Demirci has strongly criticized the banning of her documentary at the 19th International Workers' Film Festival, calling it "an assault on Turkish cinema." The documentary "Kanun Hükmü" (Statutory Decree) was prohibited from being shown in both Ankara and Istanbul by local authorities. The film depicts the struggles of Dr. Yasemin Demirci and teacher Engin Karataş after they were dismissed from their jobs through statutory decrees.
The film, which had previously been removed from the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival program last September leading to the festival's cancellation, was set to be screened when, an hour before showtime, it was banned without explanation. According to Demirci, the police did not provide any reasons to either the festival directors or herself and officially notified them of the decision the following day.
"This arbitrary action by the district governorship is a clear indication of the insensitivity and injustice surrounding the issue of statutory decrees, affecting over two million people," Demirci stated. "They do not want to discuss a social issue that affects so many. Preventing the screening of the film is a form of torture and a blow to Turkish cinema. We can no longer merely call this censorship."
Demirci also noted that while "Kanun Hükmü" continues to be shown at international festivals, the struggle is not only about those affected by the decrees or filmmakers but is a broader fight for democracy. "This is a struggle for everyone. We make films for our audiences, who have the right to watch, to be informed, and to gain knowledge. Their freedom is being taken away, and now we need our audiences more than ever," she added.
Tufan Sertlek, a member of the Workers' Film Festival Organizing Committee, highlighted that the ban on the film should not be seen as an isolated case but as part of a broader pattern of democracy violations in Turkey. He criticized the justification for the ban, which was supposedly under a law that is not typically applicable to film screenings, suggesting that it was a fabricated excuse because the government does not want the issues surrounding statutory decrees discussed publicly. "This film is no different from other, more critical and oppositional films, but perhaps the government is particularly keen to suppress discussion on this topic," Sertlek remarked.
