TEHRAN – Kurdish Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor has canceled his upcoming concert in Istanbul, Turkey, in protest over Turkey’s assault on the Kurds in Syria.

Kurdish militias in northern Syria have been a crucial U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. But Turkey launched an attack on the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces after U.S. troops withdrew this week.

“These days are very hard for us Kurds,” Kalhor said in a video published on his Instagram account. The video depicts Kalhor talking to the audience on Friday before his concert with Rembrandt Frerichs Trio at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

“The violence and the war in Syria have caused a lot of grief for the Kurds and this catastrophe will cause heavy casualties and make many people homeless, but some politicians do not realize these issues,” he added.

“I was scheduled to perform a concert in Istanbul in the near future, but I canceled it in sympathy for my Kurdish brothers and sisters [in Syria],” he noted.

“I also dedicate the last piece of our repertoire tonight to the Kurdish children, and hope that once again we will live in a world with no war and children can sleep peacefully in their homes,” Four-time Grammy Award nominee Kalhor added.

Photo: Kurdish Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor performs in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW