Turkey bans Robbie Williams concert over safety concerns on October 7

ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have banned a Robbie Williams concert scheduled for October 7 in Istanbul over safety concerns following several calls for protest.

A source from the city governor’s office told AFP on Sunday that the decision was made due to safety concerns without providing further details.

The concert would have occurred on the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel that triggered war in Gaza and a global protest movement.

The organising company announced the cancellation in line with the Istanbul governor’s office decision and said ticket refunds would be processed through purchase platforms.

Williams performed in Israel in 2015 and 2023 despite calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the country.

Several NGOs urged Turkish authorities to cancel the concert while groups including the Islamic Solidarity Platform planned protests under the slogan “Zionist Robbie Williams, get out of Turkey!”

The 51-year-old British singer expressed regret on his Instagram story about not being able to perform.

“City authorities have cancelled the show, in the interests of public safety,“ Williams said.

“The last thing I would ever want to do is to jeopardise the safety of my fans – their safety and security come first.”

In September, Turkish authorities banned an Enrico Macias concert in Istanbul after calls to protest the French singer’s pro-Israel views.

The 86-year-old singer told AFP he was deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to see his Turkish audience after performing there for 60 years. – AFP

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