Istanbul bans French singer’s concert after protest calls for pro-Israel stance

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities on Sept. 3 said they have banned a planned concert scheduled for Sept. 5 in Istanbul by Enrico Macias after calls to protest the French singer's pro-Israeli views.

The Istanbul Governor’s Office said in a statement that it wanted to prevent any demonstrations on the sidelines of the concert "against the genocide of the terrorist state Israel in Gaza and its supporters.”

Such protests and demonstrations would place protesters "in an unjust position legally, and cause grievances," the office said in a statement.

Any protests around the concert venue in Istanbul's Şişli district on Sept. 5 were also banned by the office.

The 86-year-old singer told AFP that he has performed in Türkiye for 60 years and is "deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to see my audience, with whom I have always shared values of peace and fraternity."

Macias, who was born into a Jewish family in Algeria, has on several occasions defended Israel's lethal response to Hamas' deadly October 2023 attacks.

"My problem is that I can't stand the violence of the terrorists," he said in an interview on YouTube in August.

"And if there was violence on the Israeli side, it was because of Hamas," he said, while saying he had "nothing against the Palestinians."

Macias has lived in France since 1961, where he has contributed to the popularity of Arab-Andalusian music.

Many of the songs composed by Macias were covered in Turkish with localized lyrics and performed by numerous prominent artists in Türkiye, reaching wide audiences.

As one of the most frequently arranged artists in Turkish music, Macias’ work had a significant impact on Turkish pop, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s.

In the past, some Turkish performers shared the stage with Macias in joint concerts, and he has repeatedly referred to Türkiye as his “second homeland.”