In a midnight decree, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed Tamer Karadağlı, a nationalist TV actor, as the head of the Turkish State Theatres. This was just one of several appointments made in the same presidential decree, which was published in the Official Gazette on August 11.
Karadağlı’s appointment caused a huge reaction on social media, as users recalled his targeting of two female actresses and his support for anti-LGBTI rallies.
In May, Karadağlı criticized Merve Dizdar after she won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s film “About Dry Grasses.” Karadağlı said it was not right for Dizdar to criticize her country abroad after having done her most popular work on state-run TV and winning millions of people’s hearts and money.
In her speech, Dizdar said: “I dedicate this award to all my sisters who never give up hope no matter what and to all the rebellious souls in Turkey who are waiting for the good days they deserve.”
In a separate incident in 2021, Karadağlı interrupted actress Nihal Yalçın on stage while she was giving a speech for her Antalya Golden Orange Award for Best Lead Actress. Karadağlı later defended himself by saying that the actress was embracing the Peoples’Democratic Party (HDP) and Selahattin Demirtaş.
In another controversial statement, Karadağlı expressed support for the anti-LGBTI rally held at Istanbul’s Saraçhane Square last year. He said: “I stand against those who are trying to damage the Turkish family system, our children’s moral values.”
Musician to Lead Directorate of Fine Arts After Making Children Sing ‘Long Live Grandfather Tayyip’
Another controversial appointment concerns Ömer Faruk Belviranlı, who became the head of the General Directorate of Fine Arts at the Culture Ministry.
Belviranlı made headlines in 2021 when he had a chorus of primary school children sing “Long Live Grandfather Tayyip” to mark Erdogan’s birthday. Belviranlı was the head of the Konya Turkish Sufism Music Community at the time.
