The single-performer play Sadece Diktatör (Just a Dictator) was banned on 27 January in Kocaeli, the fifth province to ban the play.
Barış Atay is the only performer in the single-person play, written by Onur Orhan. Since 20 January, the play has been banned from the stage in theaters in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Artvin provinces.
The actor himself believes the theme of the play has unnerved Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In a tweet, Atay said that he believed the play had been banned directly under orders from Erdoğan himself.
The play’s director Caner Erdem said he had received notification informing him that the play was banned under an order of the Kocaeli Governor’s office under State of Emergency rules in place. The notification said that as long as Turkey’s “Olive Branch” operation in Syria’s Afrin area continues, mass public events such as concerts, ceremonies or festivals can only be held under permission from local authorities.
The Kocaeli Governor’s Office said the play had the potential to “arouse indignation” among the public.
The play was banned for the first time on 20 January in Istanbul’s liberal Kadıköy district.
