CHP Deputy Chairman Gamze Akkuş İlgezdi reacted to the fact that the “Special Copying Fees” in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s budget were not distributed to the artists. Ilgezdi drew attention to the fact that according to his calculations, a fee of 2 billion 428 million 781 thousand 710 lira has been collected since 2002, and called for “This money should be distributed to the beneficiaries through professional associations”.
RESULTS ANNOUNCED
In 2020, when the Covid-19 epidemic was most intense, CHP’s İlgezdi, who asked the amount of money collected in the fund by submitting a question to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with the request of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, announced the results of his study based on TÜİK data.
CLOSE TO 2 BILLION
Ilgezdi stated that the Special Copying Fees collected in the last 20 years have approached 2.5 billion liras and said, “From 2002-2017, the fee cuts are 1 billion 83 million 64 thousand 227 liras and 69 cents. In 2017, they said they had 320 million liras in their hands. If the money you have left from 1 billion 83 million is 320 million, what did you do with the remaining 763 million 64 thousand 227 liras and 69 cents? Where was this money spent? On the other hand, since there are 320 million liras left, we do not know where a total of 1 billion 665 million 717 thousand 482 liras has been spent since then, that is, between 2018 and 2021,” he said.
“ART IS CRYING BLOOD”
Ilgezdi said, “Cinema theaters were closed for two years during the pandemic period, theaters curtains were lowered, entertainment venues were helpless with the clock application, TV series could not be shot, set workers, singers and theater actors could not earn a penny,” said Ilgezdi, “We can no longer ignore these people. They no longer have the strength to hold on. The art world is bleeding. Longing for the stage of theater actors, singers, actors and set workers are in a difficult situation. We are watching the end of an industry. The ministry has a large budget. Where they spend it is a mystery. Why is this money not distributed to the beneficiaries? Even the allocation of the 2 billion-dollar budget to the artists will relieve them financially.” Addressing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism officials, İlgezdi said: “Explain the amount of funds you have and hand them over to the beneficiaries. This money should be distributed through professional associations.”
