PRESS RELEASE Regarding the State Theaters Coordination Meeting

State Theaters Coordination Meeting Press Statement by Trade Unions and Democratic Mass Organizations

It is a fact that democratic mass organizations and unions—which serve as the guarantee of a democratic, participatory world that recognizes identities and fosters the expression and negotiation of ideas—play important roles in our lives. Unfortunately, in our country, organizations and unions that often preserve their own identities by exerting pressure and control over institutions and structures of power are not well-liked. Underlying this are fundamental factors such as the belief that administrations work hard but do not receive the recognition they deserve, a reluctance to be open to scrutiny, and a lust for power. However, as democratic mass organizations and unions, it is our duty to offer criticism, make suggestions, and discuss the current situation.

Indeed, democratic mass organizations and unions, have taken care to articulate their thoughts and proposed solutions as clearly as possible at every coordination meeting the State Theaters have attended to date—without compromising their principles—in the struggle to develop the art of theater and the craft of acting, and to create an original, autonomous, and contemporary State Theater.

Unfortunately, this year, democratic mass organizations and unions were not invited to the State Theaters’ coordination meeting; as a result, the views of professional organizations were not sought; difficulties were not discussed, and no joint solutions were sought; and a culture of criticism has been sidelined. The fact that democratic mass organizations and unions were not invited to the coordination meeting—to which all artists were invited—and that the statement “We’ll hold a meeting among ourselves!” was made constitutes a major obstacle to pluralism. Let us not forget that the participation of democratic mass organizations and unions, which have been present at virtually every coordination meeting to date, is a long-standing tradition.

The concept of the social state—one of the fundamental elements of the founding philosophy of the Republic of Turkey—is based on the state’s public responsibility in the fields of culture and the arts, just as it is in health and education. In line with this concept, the State Theaters are an important public institution in terms of bringing the art and literature of theater to the public, ensuring the public has quality and equal access to the arts, and protecting and developing the shared values of artists and all those working in the arts.

Administrative authority is not the authority to exclude differing opinions, suppress criticism, or disregard the exchange of views. On the contrary, the responsibility of leadership means being accountable to the public, listening to differing views, fostering collective wisdom, and strengthening a participatory approach to governance. For this reason, we condemn this anti-democratic approach to governance that excludes unions, professional organizations, and democratic institutions; disregards criticism and the exchange of views; and prevents differing opinions from participating in institutional processes.

The State Theaters are not the property of any individual, administrator, or temporary management philosophy; they are a shared value of society, the arts, and artists. The institution’s future is possible only through a participatory, transparent, and democratic management approach where differing views can be freely expressed and criticism is valued.

Let us not forget that, since the dawn of humanity, people have sought a more livable world through the inspiration and transformative power of art. Among these arts, theater—which holds immense importance and bears great responsibility—has always courageously voiced on stage what individuals could not express themselves, and, as a professional duty, has never shied away from presenting opposing views or showing respect for them. Moving forward, as democratic mass organizations and unions, we hope to come together with the theater arts—which align with our own values—through an approach that is democratic and participatory, pluralistic, and respectful of a culture of criticism; we declare that we, too, will continue on our path with this accumulated experience in a thoughtful manner.

KÜLTÜR EMEK SEN KÜLTÜR SANAT SEN - https://kultursanatsen.org.tr/ TOBAV Mutual Aid Foundation for Employees of the State Theaters, Opera, and Ballet - https://www.tobavnet.org/ DETİS Association of Artists of the State Theaters