Robbie Williams' concert in Istanbul canceled amid protests by pro-Palestinian activists
Kyiv • UNN
Robbie Williams' concert in Istanbul, scheduled for October 7, has been canceled due to security concerns. Ticket refunds will be available soon.
It has already been announced that tickets will be refunded through the relevant platforms. The reason for the cancellation of Robbie Williams' performance is briefly stated as a security issue. At the same time, there is clear evidence of a political background to the decision - Turkish pro-Palestinian organizations protested against the British star's performance, UNN reports with reference to Milliyet and Sky News.
Details
Turkish authorities have canceled a concert by British pop singer Robbie Williams, scheduled for October 7. The concert was supposed to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which led to a bloody war in Gaza. As stated in the Sky News report, Turkish authorities banned the show "for security reasons."
The musician wrote on Instagram on Saturday that he deeply regretted the cancellation of the performance, but he also noted the importance of the security factor.
The last thing I want to do is jeopardize the safety of my fans
Add
The Milliyet newspaper claimed that Williams was criticized for saying in an interview he gave in 2023: "I'm glad to be in Israel," and his decision to give a concert in Turkey "on the anniversary of the Al-Aqsa flood" caused a negative reaction on social media.
In the context of the mentioned reactions of pro-Palestinian network users, it should be noted that Williams is of Jewish descent, and even in the last decade, the concert of the former Take That member in the Middle East, in Israel, also caused some criticism from similar political groups.
For reference
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and its allied groups attacked Israel. More than 1,200 people were killed, and 251 people were taken hostage. In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has since launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Recall
US President Donald Trump said that Israel agreed to the initial withdrawal line in the Gaza Strip, which was previously handed over to Hamas.