Critical court ruling on Neşet Ertaş’s unpublished works

An important decision has been reached in the lawsuit concerning the rights to the unpublished works of Neşet Ertaş, one of the iconic figures of Turkish folk music, known by the nickname "Bozkırın Tezenesi" (The Plectrum of the Steppe). The family of the master artist had applied to the court to have the transfer of his compositions' rights to Prof. Dr. Erol Parlak, which took place before Ertaş's death, declared invalid.

The family argued that Ertaş was using heavy medication while undergoing cancer treatment and that he lacked the capacity to make sound decisions when signing the document approving the transfer. However, in the case filed at the Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance, a critically important report from the Council of Forensic Medicine guided the process.

The forensic report included findings that Neşet Ertaş was of sound mind during the relevant period. It was also noted that no procedural deficiencies or irregularities were found in the report. Based on this report, the court panel evaluated the cancellation request made by Ertaş's family.

Ultimately, the court concluded that the artist had made a conscious decision during the process of transferring the rights to Erol Parlak and rejected the cancellation lawsuit. Thus, the debate regarding the ownership of Ertaş's unpublished works has been settled by a judicial decision.

News Source: 12punto