The Girl Group Being Prosecuted By Their Own Country (manifest)

First of all, let me give you the good news: they were not imprisoned. The travel ban has also been lifted, and everything has returned to normal. Now, if you ask why this happened, I will tell the truth as a Turk. Our country has very diverse social groups. We have a large secular population, but also a very large conservative one. The current government, especially after the economic crisis that intensified following 2016, has faced growing public backlash. In the 2023 elections, due to the opposition’s failure, the same government won again. After being in power for about 25 years, they are fully aware that their chances of winning the next election are very slim. Because of this, over the last year they have openly started acting against basic freedoms. They unjustly imprisoned Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Istanbul Mayor and their strongest political rival. After that, through various manipulations and media outlets they control, they tried to present themselves as justified and mislead the public. Journalists who act in opposition are being detained one by one, held briefly, then released. The goal is intimidation. And frankly, it works. So why did Manifest experience this? Manifest is seen as part of the new generation, and from the beginning they openly expressed their political views. Later, during the dance break at the end of their song Arıyo, people started chanting a slogan: “Justice, Law, Equality.” You can see this clearly if you watch the concert videos. Opposition-minded people supported them both for their music and for openly sharing their views. In response, the government launched a fake investigation against Manifest, just like they do with other opposition figures, purely to intimidate them. The official reason? “Indecency” or “nudity.” Which is honestly laughable. In our country, you can walk outside and see hundreds of people dressed more revealingly than them. We also have a famous singer, Hadise, who has concert footage where her private areas are almost visible. The government does nothing to her. Why? Because she has given interviews supporting the government. This was long, but I wanted you to know the truth. From the outside, it looks like our country is some kind of Arab state where women are not allowed to dress freely. That is not the reality. Thank you.

If you want to get to know Turkish music, you can start with Turkish Classical Music (Turkish Art Music) by listening to legends like Zeki Müren. In pop music, Ajda Pekkan and Sezen Aksu are essential names. For Anatolian rock, you can explore the works of Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, and Mor ve Ötesi. In Turkish folk music, artists like Âşık Veysel, Neşet Ertaş, and Ahmet Kaya come from earlier generations but remain timeless legends who live on in collective memory.