Authorities in Turkey have cancelled a Robbie Williams concert in Istanbul over "safety concerns" after several calls for a protest.
The concert would have taken place on October 7 — the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that led to a two-year war in Gaza and global protests against it.
The organising company said the concert's cancellation was "in line with a decision made by the Istanbul Governor's office", and refunds would be processed shortly through the platform from which they were bought.
The source from the governor's office told AFP that the decision was made over "safety concerns", without elaborating further.
British singer Williams, whose wife, Ayda Field, has a Turkish father and a Jewish mother, performed in Israel in 2015 and 2023 despite calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the country.
Activist groups urged authorities to cancel the Istanbul concert, and others, including the Islamic Solidarity Platform ,had planned protests under the slogan "Zionist Robbie Williams, get out of Turkey."
"I am extremely sorry that I will not be able to perform in Istanbul next week," Williams, 51, wrote on Instagram. "City authorities have cancelled the show, in the interests of public safety.
"The last thing I would ever want to do is to jeopardise the safety of my fans – their safety and security come first. To end this epic run of dates in front of my Turkish fans was my dream, given the close connections my family have with this wonderful country."
In September, authorities banned an Enrico Macias concert in Istanbul after calls to protest against the French singer's pro-Israel views.
Macias, 86, told AFP at the time that he had performed in Turkey for 60 years and was "deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to see my audience, with whom I have always shared values of peace and fraternity".
-With Agencies
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
