Extremist group attacks KonohaFest in Istanbul and forces it to shut down

The KonohaFest, an anime, manga, and Japanese culture festival held in Istanbul, had to shut down early this weekend. A group of Islamic extremists stormed the event, damaged booths, and assaulted several attendees, including families with children. The Turkish government has made no official comment.

The festival was scheduled for October 3 and 4 in the Ümraniye district, one of the city's most important areas. It featured cosplay contests, video games, sushi tastings, and other activities centered on Japanese characters. It all fell apart when the attackers entered shouting "Allah Akhbar" and began hitting people.

According to AsiaNews, some people suffered minor injuries from the beatings. Police arrived after the aggressors had already broken equipment and booths, and managed to disperse them. So far, no arrests or open investigations have been reported.

Attendees at the KonohaFest anime festival in Istanbul, before the attack that forced it to close.asianews.it

A harassment campaign weeks in the making

The attack was not spontaneous. Even before the festival took place, posters calling for its cancellation were already circulating on social media. They were signed by a platform called "Ümraniye NGOs Platform," with no further details on who makes it up.

The posters called on families to mobilize: "We will not stay silent. Sign our statement and stop this event. It will set a bad example for our children's future and our values." The message tied directly into the government's "Family and Population of a Decade" initiative, which Ankara promotes with a strong nationalist component.

The festival's name comes from the Hidden Leaf Village, the hometown in Naruto. For the extremists, these kinds of events "go against the family structure of society and national and spiritual values." They also accused anime of pulling young people away from Turkish culture and causing them "identity confusion."

The banners they displayed during the protest followed the same line: "If you're looking for a role model, look at your own history," "Our hero is Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror," or "We will not let our youth become an imitation."

A repeating pattern in Turkey

This is not the first time nationalist and Islamist groups have attacked activities they consider foreign to Muslim tradition. In recent years, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has backed controversial decisions such as the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and has pushed campaigns against the LGBTI+ community.

The platform that called the protest also showed support for the "My Family is Safe" operation, launched in September across 15 provinces. That campaign targets those who defend inclusion and the rights of LGBTI+ people.

The silence of Turkish authorities about what happened at KonohaFest leaves many open questions. There are no arrests, no confirmed investigation, and the organizers have not been able to resume the event. Meanwhile, Istanbul's otaku community is left with a destroyed festival and the feeling that no one will be held accountable.

What do you think about what happened in Istanbul? Tell us in the comments if you've experienced something similar at an anime event.