Turkish minister calls on Fazıl Say to stay

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

A file photo taken on February 9, 2010 shows Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say posing at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, prior to a concert. AFP Photo

Internationally acclaimed Turkish pianist Fazıl Say recently said he was considering leaving the country for good, and Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay has called on him to reconsider. However, on his Twitter account, Say harshly replied to the minister the next day saying “stop talking nonsense.”

Günay made his remarks in a speech he gave May 10 at the European Parliament as the guest of the Friends of Turkey Parliamentary Group, daily Hürriyet reported. Günay said that he did not want any Turkish artist to have negative feelings about Turkey, adding, “As a member of the government, who is responsible for coordinating tourism and cultural affairs of the country, I am strictly careful not to say a word that will hurt an artist. But if some artists insist on saying negative things all the time, I leave it to society to evaluate. I hope that in the future these people will say there is no better place to live than Turkey.”