Eurovision wants Turkey return to popular song contest

By Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) – The organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest said that Turkey is “very much welcomed back” as the Turkish side mulling a return to the popular competition.

“Although the EBU’s Turkish Member TRT hasn’t participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2012, we know there is still huge interest in Turkey in the Contest underlined by the large amount of engagement on our social channels from Turkish fans,” said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in a statement on Thursday.

“With that in mind, we are in contact with TRT with the aim of bringing them back into the competition,” the statement added.

“TRT has made a huge contribution to the Contest in the past, including hosting the event in Istanbul in 2004, and we would very much welcome them back should they decide to participate again,” the statement read.

Earlier, TRT General Manager Ibrahim Eren told Turkish media that the state broadcaster is in contact with the EBU.

“A very good person from Northern Europe came to [the management of] the Eurovision from Northern Europe,” Eren was cited by Daily Milliyet.

“I think this year [the organization] was very successful. After a long time, they had a nice competition. Our friends started meeting with the newcomer,” he said, but he was short about the outcome of the talks.

Turkey last time participated in the contest in 2012. According to the EBU, Ankara entered the competition 34 times in history with a win in 2003 by Sertab Erener’s song Every Way That I Can.