Turkey’s ‘culture war’: Anger grows as string of events cancelled

Critics and analysts say that the cancellations likely stem from a pre-election strategy on the part of President Erdogan [File: Yasin Akgul/AFP]

Istanbul, Turkey – It is the height of spring in Turkey, and with that comes a flurry of concerts and outdoor festivals to complement the pleasant weather.

But in recent weeks, a string of events have been cancelled by cities and districts run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), leading critics and analysts to accuse the government of attempting to wage a “culture war” in the run-up to next year’s general elections.