Turkey bans Robbie Williams’ Oct 7 concert over ‘safety concerns’

Istanbul – Turkish authorities have banned British singer Robbie Williams’ concert scheduled for Oct 7 in Istanbul over “safety concerns” following several calls for protest, a source from the city governor’s office told AFP on Oct 5.

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

The organising company announced the concert’s cancellation “in line with a decision made by the Istanbul governor’s office”, adding that ticket refunds would be processed shortly through the platform where they were purchased.

Speaking to AFP, the source from the governor’s office cited “safety concerns” without elaborating further.

Williams, 51, performed in Israel in 2015 and 2023 despite calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the country. His wife is American actress Ayda Field, 46, who is of Turkish and Jewish descent.

Several non-governmental organisations urged Turkish authorities to cancel the Oct 7 concert. Others, including the Islamic Solidarity Platform, had planned protests under the slogan “Zionist Robbie Williams, get out of Turkey.”

“I am extremely sorry that I will not be able to perform in Istanbul next week,” Williams announced on his Instagram Story.

“City authorities have cancelled the show, in the interests of public safety,” he 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 at the time that he had performed in Turkey for 60 years and was “deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to see my audience, with whom I have always shared values of peace and fraternity”. AFP