24.04.2026 20:25
All concerts have been cancelled just hours before the 'Turkey Culture Road Festival' in Şanlıurfa. The complete cancellation of the festival's concert segment, following a request from NGOs citing 'spiritual sensitivity and mourning,' created a cold shower effect in the tourism sector. The business community and tourism professionals reacted to the cancellation decision, stating that the city's promotion and economy would be negatively impacted.
In Şanlıurfa, the first stop of the Turkey Culture Road Festival, concert programs were canceled following objections from some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and political initiatives. The giant stage set up in front of the Şanlıurfa Museum was dismantled just two days before the festival, sparking major backlash in the city.
JOINT DECLARATION FROM NGOS: NO TO WASTE AND DEGENERATION
The Şanlıurfa Non-Governmental Organizations Platform, which includes the Memur-Sen Şanlıurfa Provincial Presidency and various conservative associations, announced the reasons for the cancellation of the concerts in a visual statement. The platform's objections were summarized under the following headings:
- Emphasizing that the pain from the attacks at schools in Siverek and Kahramanmaraş, where teachers and students lost their lives, is still fresh, organizing "lavish" entertainments during this period was described as disrespectful to the public's grief.
- While the city struggles with infrastructure deficiencies and the aftermath of earthquakes and floods, spending millions of liras on ten days of entertainment was defined as "massive waste." It was requested that the budget be used for youth employment and education.
- It was argued that the festival content was contrary to the national and spiritual values of the region, leading to "hedonism" and "moral decay." The statement included the phrase, "Our culture is shaped not by foreign impositions, but by the tradition of knowledge, wisdom, and madrasas."
Following the demands of the NGOs, it was decided to completely cancel the concert segment of the festival.
REACTION FROM ŞUTSO: WE DO NOT FIND IT RIGHT FOR TOURISM
The cancellation of the concerts was met with concern in the city's tourism and business world. Mehmet Doğan Yetim, President of the Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ŞUTSO), stated that the decision would harm tourism potential and said:
"Şanlıurfa's tourism potential is strengthened through such festival organizations. The cancellation of concerts results in limiting visitor experience and weakening economic vitality. Decision-making processes should have considered local dynamics more holistically."
FAMOUS ARTISTS WERE TO PERFORM
The festival program was set to feature Haluk Levent, Murat Boz, Betül Demir, Sinan Akçıl, Tuğçe Kandemir, Kıraç, Ceylan, Sagopa Kajmer, and Alişan at the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum.
The Turkey Culture Road Festival, scheduled to take place from April 25 to May 3, will proceed without the concert programs.