Turkvision contest details announced

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

DHA Photo

Details of the Turkish alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, Turkvision, have been announced by Turksoy secretary general Dusen Kaseinov.

The project, branded as an alternative to Eurovision after Turkey snubbed the show over the voting system, took a crucial step to becoming a reality after the official signing ceremony in Eskişehir on Sept. 21, with the attendance of Education Minister Nabi Avcı.

The details were announced by International Turkish Culture Association (TÜRKSOY) General Secretary Düsen Kaseinov.

Turkvision, which will be organized by the Turkish Music and Television Association, will aim to present Turkish culture, music and heritage to future generations, and bring young musicians together, according to Kaseinov.

“As part of the project there will be a new ‘Music Association’ project. Each year we will aim to continue this project,” he said, adding that he expected the young people of Turkish speaking countries to show great interest in the competition.

The Turkvision contest will last for three days, with groups singing in both Turkish and their own dialects in pop music styles. In the first finals they will be singing in Turkish, in the second finals they will be singing in their own language, and in the third they will sing in whichever language they want.

A total of 20 countries and autonomic regions populated with Turkic minorities, such as the Republic of Tataristan in Russia or the Republic of Crimea, which is part of Ukraine, will be participating in the yearly event.

Having snubbed this year’s Eurovision show and announced that it would most likely skip next year’s contest as well unless the voting system changes, Turkey will host the first edition in Eskişehir at the end of December. Education Minister Avcı, however, stressed that the contest was not, as many suggested, an “alternative” to the Eurovision Song Contest, organized since 1956, but instead was intended to be within the scope of the “Turkic world cultural capital” events. The cultural capital flag is carried this year by Eskişehir.