Turkey has banned a scientific conference on “Social, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region” set to take place at the Hrant Dink Foundation’s Havak Hall on October 18-19, the foundation said in a statement.
The conference had been initially planned to take place in Kayseri, yet was banned due to the interference of the Kayseri Governorship. Upon this development, the Board of the Directors of the foundation decided to move the conference in Istanbul.
At a time when all the preparations had been made, all speakers from Turkey and around the world had already arrived in Istanbul for the conference, the foundation received an official notice of ban by the Sisli District Governorship on Thursday, at around 5pm.
The foundation claims the notice does not mention any justification for the decision to ban the conference.