Handan Tufan/JINHA

IZMIR – The state has opened an investigation against Zana Yaman, a local Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) district director, for "ideological ululations" and "playing erbane," a Kurdish musical instrument.

"So a big old state is afraid of an ululation," said Zana, commenting on the case against him, "and they use this as an excuse to start an investigation." He said the state is rather openly attempting to tie HDP opposition party members up in legal charges ahead of the election.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), with its 48% women slate of candidates, is preparing to mount a major challenge to the reigning AKP in Turkey's June election. With the election drawing nigh, HDP members say they expect to see the state mount a range of creative and absurd attacks on party volunteers and representatives.

The charges are related to a performance by the Izmir street music group Koma Siyaba. Zana is accused of "shouting slogans praising the PKK, ululating and playing the erbane" at the performance. Zana noted that although there should be nothing illegal about ululating, a practice widespread in Kurdish and Arabic culture, and that "culture should not be outlawed," he actually did not even ululate on the occasion mentioned in the charges, as he told officials when he went to the Izmir Police Station to give testimony.

"Sometimes in the street I run into performances by the group mentioned [in the charges]," said Zana. "Like everyone else, when I see them, I listen to their songs. But I neither played the erbane nor ululated."

He said the photograph included in the charges does not even depict him, as the employees at the police station also noticed.

(ht/mg/cm)