Famous Greek singer Despina Vandi refused to appear as a guest singer at a Turkish Education Foundation (TEV) concert on Wednesday because of alleged political undertones at the event.
The organizers of the concert that took place in Cesme District in Izmir Province, Turkey had set up a giant stage backdrop poster of Kemal Ataturk. The Greek singer felt the event was of a political character rather than simply a musical concert. She therefore decided to withdraw.
The concert took place as scheduled with the choir that was to accompany Despina Vandi singing the anthem of Izmir. The Turkish press and the Cesme mayor verbally attacked the Greek singer for her refusal to sing.
Vandi explained the reasons for her refusal to participate in the event with a post on her Instagram account:
“With absolute respect to the public who would honor me with their presence in the concert, scheduled for today – 17/07/2024 – I announce that for reasons of the sole culpability of the Turkish Education Foundation, (which unilaterally decided to alter the character of the event as a “concert” by giving it a prohibited and non-agreed political connotation), my participation in the said event is not possible.”
Kemal Ataturk was the leader of the Turkish army that entered Smyrna in September 1922 and burned the Greek and Armenian districts, killing thousands of Greeks and Armenians living in the city, while the rest fled on ships or drowned at the city’s port.
While Ataturk is the founder of the modern Turkish state and revered by the Turks, for Greeks, his name is connected to the Smyrna Catastrophe, one of the darkest times in modern Greece’s history.
The Turkish reaction to Despina Vandi canceling performance
Cesme Mayor Lal Denizli was very outspoken against the famous Greek singer’s decision. She reportedly took the stage to announce Vandi’s withdrawal from the event:
“Ms. Vandi will not perform because she requested the removal of the Turkish flag and the poster of Ataturk. Do not boo her; I don’t think it is worth tiring yourselves and wasting your breath. We have sacrificed so many martyrs to win this land, and we believe that brotherhood and friendship will prevail,” Denizli said.
She added: “No one can force us to take down the poster of Ataturk. This lady should leave here immediately, calmly and peacefully. But I hope she will never try again to take down the Turkish flag, which is stained with blood.”
The Turkish press “fired” against Vandi, characterizing her behavior as “rude” and “arrogant.” Hurriyet newspaper wrote that Despina Vandi caused an “extreme” incident as she demanded that the Turkish flag and the poster of Kemal Ataturk be taken down.
Aksam newspaper described the singer as “arrogant and brazen” while Haber7 television channel characterized Vandi’s refusal as a “great scandal.”
