Following formal objections from the Turkish Embassy, as well as protests from the Association of the Movement of “Mothers of the Enclaves of Srebrenica and Žepa” and the “Women of Podrinje,” the National Theatre in Sarajevo confirmed at a press conference today that the play Six Against Turkey will go ahead as scheduled at 7:30 PM.
Present at the conference were the play’s project manager Aurela Kadriu, author and director Jeton Neziraj of Kosovo’s Qendra Multimedia, and actor Adrian Morina.
The play, based on real events, centers around the 2018 deportation of six Turkish nationals from Kosovo-suspected of ties to Fethullah Gulen, the cleric accused by Ankara of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup. Neziraj described the piece as “semi-documentary,” reflecting extensive research and aiming to explore the broader implications of authoritarian regimes, rather than focusing solely on Turkish or Kosovar politics.
Kadriu stressed that the play draws from Kosovo’s own experiences and aims to provoke broader reflection on rising global authoritarianism. “This is not just a Turkish or Kosovar story,” she said.
Neziraj and Morina recounted the pressures surrounding the play’s development, including surveillance and online backlash, as well as diplomatic pressure from the Turkish Embassy. However, they emphasized that Kosovo’s institutions supported the project and never passed that pressure on to the artists.
Actor Adrian Morina also raised concerns over visa policies, noting the irony of Kosovo artists needing a visa to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, while BiH citizens can travel to Kosovo freely-particularly given the many cross-border cultural collaborations underway.
The Sarajevo performance marks a significant moment for the production, which was previously canceled twice in Prizren, Kosovo. In response to demands that the play be suspended, the National Theatre reiterated its stance against ideological censorship and affirmed its commitment to artistic freedom, N1 writes.
