10.05.2026 00:57
The concert of the Manifest group in Gaziantep took place in a packed hall despite protests outside. Performing for the first time since the events at METU, Zeynep Oktay took the stage with a Turkish flag and received applause. Responding to calls for cancellation from 60 NGOs and protests with mehter music through their songs and dances, the group provided an unforgettable night for their fans under heavy security measures.
After days of ongoing debates and intense protests in Gaziantep, the Manifest group took the stage at the Odeon Performing Arts Center. During the night, marked by protesters and security barricades outside, the group members' stage performance and symbolic messages left a significant impact.
THE HALL WAS PACKED
Despite calls from 60 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Gaziantep to cancel the concert and the scuffle at the door, citizens showed great interest in the concert. Despite all attempts to obstruct, the Odeon Performing Arts Center was completely filled, and fans welcomed the group with enthusiasm. The audience, entering through a corridor formed by security forces, sang along and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.
ZEYNEP OKTAY'S "FLAG" RESPONSE
The most striking moment of the night was when Manifest group member Zeynep Oktay took the stage with the Turkish flag. In this first concert after the events at METU, Oktay's waving of the flag while greeting fans caused a thunderous applause in the hall. This move was interpreted as a symbolic response to the protesters outside, who had accused the group of being "contrary to national and spiritual values."
THEY SANG AND DANCED
The Manifest group shook Gaziantep with their stage energy. Performing a series of upbeat songs, the group members also impressed with their professional dance performances. While mehter marches played outside, the group delivered a modern stage show inside, never compromising on their professionalism.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Before the Manifest group's concert in Gaziantep, tensions had risen in the city, with 60 different NGOs arguing that the group was "contrary to national values" and demanding the concert be banned. At the concert time, a scuffle broke out between protesters gathered in front of the building and those attending the concert, forcing security forces to intervene.