Axe Istanbul gig, fans and artists tell Muse
British rock band Muse was facing pressure on Tuesday from fans and artists to cancel an upcoming Istanbul gig after the Turkish concert promoter lashed out at those involved in recent anti-government protests.
In a post on X on Monday, the band announced plans to play Istanbul on June 11, with tickets going on sale on April 3.
But there was immediate backlash, with fans and artists saying they would boycott the gig over remarks by Abdulkadir Ozkan, boss of DBL Entertainment, the Turkish promoter behind the event.
Since March 19, Turkey has been gripped by massive anti-government protests following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The protests have been met with a sharp crackdown, prompting opposition leader Ozgur Ozel to call for a boycott of firms allegedly close to Erdogan's government.
"We would love to go (to see Muse), but the Turkish organiser of this concert supports fascism," wrote Turkish theatre actor Berna Lacin on X.
"The young people who were going to come to your concert were thrown in jail. Cancel it and come with another promoter," she said, addressing the band.
Singer Gaye Su Akyol, popular in Turkey and abroad, also took to X in support of the boycott in a post addressed to Muse, Robbie Williams and Norwegian singer Ane Brun.
"I've respected your works for years and know how much you mean to many. But neither I, nor anyone, will attend your Istanbul concerts because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement," she wrote. "Solidarity matters."
Brun later announced she was cancelling her gig, saying: "I have decided not to play in Istanbul this October... unfortunately, this is not the right time."
Another Turkish singer, Kalben, also said she would not go to the Muse gig "because the organiser is on the boycott list of the pro-democracy movement". AFP
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