İlkim Karaca responds to Emrah Karaca's theft accusations: 'I did not sell the paintings and hats, you intend to harm Cem Karaca'

12punto.com.tr / Arif HÜR

Cem Karaca's wife İlkim Karaca, in order to stop the screening of the film 'Cem Karaca's Tears', which is about the artist's life, applied to the Istanbul Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Civil Court. had applied. 

Accepting the request, the court decided to halt the screening of the film, which was released on January 26, 2024.

'WHAT DAMAGE WILL THIS COLLATERAL COVER?'

In a press statement regarding the matter, Cem Karaca's son from Feride Balkan, Emrah Karaca, stated,... "Three-quarters of the rights to my father's works belong to me. This person sold her one-quarter share to a music company in 2018. Despite this, our producers met with her, but when her demand for 16 million TL was not accepted, she became aggressive and did something like this."

With the injunction, if this person deposits 3.5 million TL for this project, which was brought to life with a budget of 90 million, the film will be removed from theaters. Such collateral is laughable for such a large investment; what damage will this collateral cover?" he said.

Emrah Karaca also alleged that the fur hats, hats, and paintings belonging to Cem Karaca were by İlkim Karaca being sold online.

'SHE IS SLANDERING WITHOUT SHAME'

Speaking to 12punto, İlkim Karaca stated that the claims put forward by Emrah Karaca do not reflect the truth.

Karaca,"They are taking the curse of the oppressed. Baseless slanders are being shamelessly leveled against me in front of millions. I did not sell the paintings belonging to Cem. I have only given them to those who asked for them as keepsakes, that is all. I once wanted to turn it into a museum house belonging to Cem Karaca. However, Emrah Karaca opposed this." and added: "If we can find it, we want to deposit the 3.5 million TL and have the film removed from theaters."

The full statement from İlkim Karaca is as follows:

"My beloved husband, Cem Karaca, as you know, passed away on February 8, 2004. Since that day, I have been subjected to financial, moral, and psychological violence by those who make the dear Turkish people believe in stories that do not exist in reality. Faced with this unfair, rude, and disrespectful attitude, I am seeking my rights for the first time."

Using the film currently on the agenda as an excuse, they are directly targeting me by saying 'Protect Cem Karaca.' In other words, they are openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility. Going even further, they are shamelessly leveling baseless slanders against me in front of millions. They are so blinded that they dare to do this." Yet, for 20 years, they have dictated everything they wanted. Despite gaining significant benefits, they have constantly engaged in agitation and played the victim, and they continue to do so."

They intend to cause severe harm to me and my precious husband, Cem Karaca, by creating misinformation. If my husband, Cem Karaca, were alive, these people would not even dare to speak in front of him. Cem would have immediately put these insolent people in their place and launched a major legal battle, just as he had done before.

I want his true story to be told while the film about my husband, Cem Karaca, is being made. It should not be based on excessive fiction. I want people to see that the real Cem Karaca was a masterpiece. I want them to recognize Cem as a whole, with his artistic and human sides, and for Cem to be introduced to new generations in his entirety. I will use my legal rights to the fullest extent in response to the crimes committed against me and the baseless slanders leveled at me."

WHAT HAPPENED?

Cem Karaca's wife, İlkim Karaca, had applied to the Istanbul Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Court to stop the screening of the film 'Cem Karaca's Tears,' which is about the artist's life.

Accepting the request, the court decided to halt the screening of the film, which was released on January 26, 2024.

Speaking after the injunction was issued, Emrah Karaca said, "We are going through an interesting process. We are truly saddened to be facing such a situation in the first week of our release, following a magnificent premiere and at the end of a film that had so much effort put into it and received almost full marks from everyone who attended the premiere and all the viewers who went to the cinema from the first day."