Turkey will not participate in 2018 Eurovision: Deputy PM Bozdağ

ANKARA

AFP photo

A senior government official has denied reports that Turkey will end its protest against the Eurovision song contest and return to the competition in 2018. 

“There is no such a thing at this moment,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ told journalists in Ankara on Aug 7.

Bozdağ is responsible for the state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that organizes the song contest in Europe. 

Turkey has not participated in Eurovision since 2012 in protest at changes in the contest’s voting system that introduced a 50/50 jury and televoting deliberation, as well as the “Big Five” rule that allows Spain, Italy, the U.K., France and Germany to automatically qualify every year for the final.

Speculation about Turkey’s potential return to the competition was sparked after the popular rock group, Manga, hinted in a Twitter message that it would represent the country at next year’s competition in Lisbon.