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Turkey wonâ€™t attend Eurovision unless voting rules change

14 September 2013 21:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkey will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest next year, chief of the state broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), Ä°brahim Åžahin, said on Saturday, APA reports quoting Todays Zaman.

TRT, a partner of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, each year selects the act that will represent Turkey in the contest. Åžahin said in western Turkish province of Denizli on Saturday that Turkey will not attend the song contest next year because of “unfair voting rules” and the decision will remain unchanged unless the Eurovision changes its rules.

Åžahin said the percentage of votes between SMS and jury was different and that when the SMS votes started pouring in, Turkey made in top ten of the ranking. “Disturbed committee,” Åžahin said, changed the rules and increased the weight of jury’s votes to 50 percent. This was the reason why Turkey protested and refuses to attend.

Åžahin also cited a controversial procedure, which favors countries such as France, Italy, the UK, Spain and Germany by allowing them to enter the finals directly without competing in the semifinals so as not to lose a large portion of the audience, as one reason of its decision.