Turkey’s Erdogan Triggered by 118,000-Person Kanye West Concert — Complains of ‘Occultism and Dark Symbols’
A senior advisor for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized a massive concert by rapper Kanye West in Istanbul, complaining that the performance offended the country’s “spiritual and cultural sensitivities.”
West performed in front of 118,000 fans in Istanbul on Saturday night, despite mounting controversy across Europe over his past antisemitic remarks and praise for Adolf Hitler.
While several European countries have attempted to block or cancel his performances over those comments, Turkish officials were more concerned by the crowd enthusiastically singing along to his 2013 track “I Am a God.”
In a post on X, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief adviser Oktay Saral said the concert featured “rhetoric and symbols that run counter to our faith and civilizational values.”
“The fact that tens of thousands of people enthusiastically chanted ‘I am a God’ is a serious matter that demands close examination,” Saral wrote.
Saral also suggested the event represented more than “a mere music event,” pointing to the appearance of 82-year-old French designer Michele Lamy, whom he described as being “associated with occultism and dark symbols.”
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
He further warned about the involvement of a “conservative segment of society… in this cultural siege.”
He also urged Turkey’s tourism ministry “to exercise far greater caution regarding such events that concern the spiritual and cultural sensitivities of our nation.”
The criticism comes despite Turkey allowing the event to proceed without interruption in front of one of the largest crowds of West’s recent European appearances.
Kanye West has broken the stadium concert record
The artist’s performance in Istanbul gathered 118,000 spectators.
The concert is being described as the most attended paid stadium show in music history. pic.twitter.com/ODKSou83tb
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 31, 2026
West has faced mounting backlash in recent years over repeated antisemitic comments and statements praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The rapper has previously attributed some of his behaviour to bipolar disorder.
Earlier this year, Britain barred West from entering the country to headline a music festival, forcing organisers to cancel the event.
France also moved to block a planned concert in Marseille, while Poland canceled a scheduled stadium performance over what officials described as his “promotion of Nazism.”
Italy later scrapped a proposed July concert on public safety grounds.
In January, West defended himself in a Wall Street Journal advertisement, blaming his outbursts on a severe case of bipolar disorder.
West is still scheduled to perform in the Netherlands later this week, before additional concerts in Albania and the Czech Republic later this summer.
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