Erdogan Criticizes Eurovision and Declares Concerns Over Declining Birth Rates in Turkey

On Monday, Turkey's president criticized the Eurovision Song Contest, alleging that it promotes "gender neutralization" and poses a threat to traditional family values.

During a speech following a Cabinet meeting, Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to contest participants as "Trojan horses of social corruption," asserting his government's decision to keep Turkey out of the competition since 2012. He specifically mentioned Swiss singer Nemo, who recently won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," a song celebrating a journey toward embracing a nonbinary identity. Erdogan expressed concerns about the contest's embrace of nonbinary identities, highlighting his government's stance against LGBTQ rights.

Erdogan also lamented a significant decline in birth rates in Turkey, labelling it an "existential threat" and a "disaster" for the country.