ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have banned a Robbie Williams concert scheduled for October 7 in Istanbul over “safety concerns” following several calls for protest, a source from the city governor’s office told AFP Sunday.
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 organizing company announced the concert’s cancelation “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.
The British singer Williams, whose wife is Jewish, performed in Israel in 2015 and 2023 despite calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the country.
