Kurdish film director Kazım Öz was briefly detained in İstanbul on Wednesday as part of an investigation into his 2017 film “Zer,” which authorities claim includes “terrorist propaganda,” Turkish Minute reported.
Öz was taken into custody and was later transported in handcuffs to İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse. After questioning, he was released and was informed he needs to attend a hearing scheduled for March 13.
Following his release, Öz addressed the incident on X, saying he was interrogated over “Zer.” “Those who put art on trial will ultimately lose,” he wrote.
Öz has previously faced legal scrutiny over “Zer,” which tells the story of a man tracing the origins of an old Kurdish folk song. The film, initially supported by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, was later censored, with officials demanding the removal of certain scenes. Öz complied by replacing them with black screens, which were later ordered to be removed as well.
The director, who uploaded the film to YouTube last year, said he was questioned about its online release and accused of disseminating “terrorist propaganda.” He expects further legal proceedings and has criticized what he calls increasing censorship and self-censorship in Turkey’s arts scene.