Despina Vandi's Concert Canceled in Turkey as Musicians Were Escorted Out Amid Atatürk Poster Controversy

Tensions erupted in Turkey following Despina Vandi's refusal to perform under the Turkish flag and the image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, leading to the cancellation of her appearance.

A close associate of Vandi reported to newsit.gr, "When this happened, eight individuals in black entered the dressing rooms and threw our musicians out. They shouted 'Come on, get out!' and demanded that they leave immediately."

According to claims from the singer's circle, Despina Vandi, accompanied by her close collaborators, arrived in Izmir in the afternoon, where the event organizers picked them up. Along the way from Izmir to Cesme, their musicians informed them that a photo of the stage would be sent to them. It was then that they noticed the prominent posters of Atatürk and the Turkish flag displayed in the venue. Their first thought was to refuse to perform unless the Atatürk poster was removed. "However, we never asked for their flag to be taken down, only the poster of Atatürk," emphasized the close associate in her statement to newsit.gr.

She further described how they were told for two and a half hours, "Yes, we will take down the poster," but nothing happened and time went on. Eventually, they decided to cancel the concert based on their contract and the agreements made. The ensuing dialogue between the vice president of the organizing foundation, who happens to be Greek, and Despina Vandi highlighted the differing sentiments on both sides. The vice president stated, "Do you know who Atatürk is? He is the symbol of our democracy," to which Vandi responded promptly, "To us, he is the butcher of the Greeks." They later learned about statements from the mayor of Cesme, urging Vandi to leave Turkey as soon as possible.

"The hotel owner helped us, and we had police escort in case anything happened. We arrived safely at the airport and flew out all night. She did the absolute right thing; there was no way she would perform both as a Pontian and as a Greek," concluded the singer's close associate.

Chronology of the Concert Cancellation
Despina Vandi canceled her scheduled concert in Cesme, Izmir, sparking outrage in Turkey when she noticed a poster of Atatürk in the venue. Following this, she faced severe criticism from both the concert organizers and the Turkish media.

The incident occurred during a charity concert in Cesme, where Vandi was set to perform for the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV). Upon realizing the poster’s presence, she swiftly decided to cancel her appearance. The president of the TEV's branch in the Izmir region, Gülnur Sonbayraktaş, announced on stage that the Greek singer would not perform and that ticket refunds would be available for those who desired them. Ultimately, the TEV choir took the stage, singing "The March of Smyrna," an anthem primarily adopted by nationalist Kemalists celebrating Atatürk's entry into Smyrna and the defeat of the Greek army in 1922.