The Eurovision “is a music competition and not a political one,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said, responding to reactions in Turkey to the song “Asteromata” which was chosen to represent Greece in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Marinakis was asked during a briefing for political editors about Turkey’s announcement that it would protest if the Greek selection referred to the genocide of the Pontian people.
After wishing “good luck”, the government spokesman referred to a music competition, clarifying that the song selection process “has nothing to do with political considerations”. In any case, he added, “History is on record and is not open to any question.”
In detail, Marinakis’ statement: “The process of selecting the songs has nothing to do with political expediency. It is a music competition and not a political one. The lyrics do not include any offensive references. In any case, history is on record and is not open to any question.”
A formal complaint to the EBU has been announced by the public state television
The choice of the song has caused a reaction on the Turkish side, with the Turkish press even talking about diplomatic tension between Greece and Turkey.
The Turkish press has expressed its concern about diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Turkish public broadcaster said the song will be analyzed and, if necessary, file a formal complaint with the EBU if it is found to be related to the genocide of the Pontians in the early 1900s.
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