Israeli-Turkish singer Linet Manashe canceled her concert in İstanbul over the weekend after pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the event venue, demanding that the performance be called off due to her Israeli heritage, Turkish Minute reported.
The demonstration took place outside Maslak Yeni Gazino, where Manashe was scheduled to perform. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Get out of Turkey,” prompting police to intervene and enforce security. As tensions escalated, the singer was escorted out of the venue through a back exit under police protection, according to Sözcü.
In a video recorded from her dressing room, a visibly distressed Manashe issued a tearful appeal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, first lady Emine Erdoğan and the Turkish public, expressing fear for her safety.
“I’m very upset. I don’t feel safe,” she said. “I am a Turkish citizen and an artist. Until now, I’ve existed only through my voice. Mr. President, Mrs. Erdoğan, please support me. I appeal to Turkey, to all who know and love me. Please don’t leave me alone in this.”
Manashe had faced public backlash in Turkey when she called the Palestinian militant group Hamas “murderers” in the aftermath of its attack on Israel in October 2023.
Unlike its Western allies, the Turkish government does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist group.
The protest came amid heightened public anger in Turkey over Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which have led to widespread demonstrations and boycotts. Several performances by artists with Israeli connections, including singer Yasmin Levy, have already been canceled under public pressure.
Although Manashe is a Turkish citizen and has built her career largely in Turkey, her Israeli roots have made her the focus of a nationalist backlash. Born in Tel Aviv in 1975 to a Turkish-Jewish mother and an Istanbul-born, Sephardic Jewish father, she moved to Turkey in the 1990s and released three albums before returning to Israel later in the decade. She resumed her musical career in Turkey in 2006.
Known for her multilingual performances in Hebrew, Turkish, Arabic and English, Manashe once described herself as “technically a draft dodger,” having left Israel before completing mandatory military service. “No matter what, I want to live in Turkey and die in Turkey,” she told an audience during a 2021 concert.
As of Monday the Turkish government has not issued a statement on the incident or responded to Manashe’s appeal. It remains unclear whether she will continue with her upcoming tour dates.
Anti-Israel sentiment has been running high in Turkey since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attack in 2023 that resulted in the death of 1,206 people and the taking of some 250 hostages.
The overall death toll in Gaza has exceeded 53,000 since Israel launched its onslaught following the 2023 attack.
