Türkiye concert of Greek singer Vandi cancelled due to dispute over Turkish flag and Atatürk poster

The concert of well-known Greek singer Despina Vandi in Cesme, Izmir, was abruptly cancelled because she allegedly demanded the removal of the Turkish flag and a poster of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk from the stage.

The concert, organized by the Izmir branch of the Turkish Educational Foundation (TEV) for educational purposes, was to take place in the Cesme Open Air Theater.

The audience waited eagerly for Vandi’s performance, but she did not take the stage. As time passed without an explanation, the unrest in the audience grew.

Finally, Gulnur Sonbayraktar, head of TEV’s Izmir branch, took the stage and announced that the artist could not perform due to unforeseen circumstances and that a refund of tickets was possible upon request.

Following this announcement, the concert continued with the performance of the “Izmir March” by the TEV Choir, with the audience enthusiastically singing along.

Strong reaction from the mayor of Cesme

Cesme Mayor Lal Denizli addressed the crowd and explained that Despina Vandi refused to perform because she demanded that the Turkish flag and Atatürk poster be removed from the stage.

Denizli said: “No power can try to take down our flag or Atatürk’s poster. That is not even conceivable. This woman should leave the city limits immediately.”

Denizli stressed that the concert served an educational purpose and that the municipality had provided all necessary support.

However, he considered the incident unacceptable, adding: “We have sacrificed many martyrs to win these countries and we always believe in and are committed to the idea that brotherhood and eternal friendship will prevail.”

She concluded her speech by hoping that this incident could serve as a lesson for Vandi: “May she never even think of lowering the flag of any country she visits. I hope this serves as a historical lesson for her.”

The concert continued with songs from the TEV choir while the audience tried to recover from the shock of the event.