Epress.am News from Armenia
The second anniversary of Armenian singer Aram Tigran’s death on Aug. 8 will be commemorated with two events in the Turkish capital of Ankara and the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in the coming days, reports the Hürriyet Daily News.
The first event will be staged at the Ankara Yapı Art Center at 7:30 pm on Monday, while the second event will be held in Diyarbakır on Oct. 15.
Tigran, who was best known for his songs in Kurdish, had requested in his will that his body be buried in Diyarbakır but was denied permission on the grounds that he was not a Turkish citizen.
“Aram is the voice of the freedom of peoples. With his voice and his instrument, he is the breath of the oppressed and bitter peoples of the Middle East,” Sait Çetinoğlu, one of the events’ organizers, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“Many people who are not Turkish citizens can be buried on this land through a Cabinet decision. [Tigran’s] will should have been respected and followed through, but his burial on this land was prevented because of Aram’s Armenian identity,” Çetinoğlu said. “We intend to bring Aram’s will back into the public agenda through these commemoration ceremonies,” Çetinoğlu said, adding that they were expecting support.
“Even if we cannot yet bring his body [back] to this land, we are bringing his voice and breath [here.] We expect [to see] everyone who believes in the brotherhood of peoples at this event, regardless of whatever their religion, language or race might be,” he added.
Tigran’s family appealed to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to fulfill his will. Failing to obtain the necessary permit, however, Tigran’s body was then burried in Brussels.
Tigran passed away on Aug. 8, 2009, following a brain hemorrhage he suffered in Greece.