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Türkiye expressed deep alarm on Tuesday, condemning US rapper Kanye West for a weekend concert in Istanbul that offended the nation’s “spiritual sensitivities” before nearly 120,000 fans.
While several European nations have banned West’s shows due to his history of antisemitic remarks, the Muslim-majority nation focused its objections on the performance’s religious tones.
In a post on X, Oktay Saral, a chief advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stated that the performance featured rhetoric and symbols that directly countered the country’s faith and civilisational values.
İstanbul’da sahnelenen Kanye West konseri, sıradan bir müzik organizasyonu olarak kabul edilemez.
118 bin genç, para vererek inancımıza ve medeniyet değerlerimize aykırı söylem ve sembollerin sergilendiği bir gösterinin parçası hâline getirilmiştir. “I am a God” sözlerinin on…
— Oktay SARAL (@oktay_saral) June 2, 2026
Saral specifically criticised the enthusiastic crowd for chanting “I am a God,” a reference to a 2013 song by the artist, and labelled the behaviour a serious matter requiring close examination.
The advisor also claimed the show transcended a mere music event, pointing to the involvement of 82-year-old French designer Michele Lamy, whom he accused of associating with occultism and dark symbols.
Expressing deep concern that a conservative segment of society participated in what he termed a cultural siege, Saral urged the tourism ministry to exercise much greater caution regarding events that threaten the nation’s spiritual and cultural sensitivities.
The controversy in Istanbul follows widespread international backlash against West, who has previously blamed his antisemitic rants and statements glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on bipolar disorder.
His actions have heavily disrupted his European tour schedule this year, leading to an entry ban in Britain, a postponement in France, and a cancellation in Poland over his promotion of Nazism.
Although West defended himself in a January newspaper advertisement by denying he is a Nazi and stating his love for Jewish people, he faces ongoing scrutiny as he prepares for upcoming performances in the Netherlands, Albania, and Prague.
