Concert by comedian Maksim Galkin banned in Istanbul
Turkish authorities have not allowed a concert by Russian comedian Maksim Galkin, planned for 25 October in Istanbul. Activists had campaigned against it over his statements in support of Israel.
Local authorities in Istanbul have banned a concert by Russian comedian Maksim Galkin, which was scheduled for Sunday, 25 October, at 7 p.m. at the Harbiye hall of the Istanbul Congress Center. The news was reported by Tengri Life, citing Turkey's state broadcaster TRT and the Russian agency RIA Novosti. The decision concerns a performer whose public statements about Israel have caused strong anger in Turkey.
What the source said
An unnamed source told RIA Novosti that the concert has been cancelled because the authorities did not permit it. Ticket money will be refunded through ticket operators, and rescheduling the event is not being considered.
Protests before the ban
After news of the planned performance appeared in Turkish media and on social networks, a campaign began demanding that it be banned. Activists called for mass protests at the venue to prevent the comedian from performing. This week, hundreds of Turkish social media users demanded that Galkin be banned from entering the country permanently.
The protests were prompted by Galkin's public statements. Since October 2023 he has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, suggested he might personally take part in hostilities, and justified the actions of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. He has also been criticised for posts containing the phrase "Israel will win" and for remarks in which he denied problems of hunger and malnutrition in Gaza.
The pro-government conservative newspaper Yeni Şafak noted that Galkin calls himself a "defender of peace" in the Russia–Ukraine conflict, yet at the same time acts as a Zionist who fully supports Israel during what it described as genocide in the Gaza Strip.
