Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal Eurovision 2011Winners from Azerbaijan, helped launch “TurkVision”. Photograph courtesy of DHA.

Turkey may have said that they will not attend Eurovision until changes are made to the voting and Big 5 status, so they have provided their Turkish Eurovision Fans and Diaspora with the next best thing – “TurkVision”. Briefly “TurkVision” is a Eurasian Music Contest created by Turkish broadcaster TRT. Songs from different countries or regions within countries that have a large Turkic minorities, will participate in 2 Semi Finals and a Grand Final. Does that sound familiar to you?

Yesterday the concept of “TurkVision” became a reality, with the official signing ceremony in Eskişehir by the Turkish Education Minister Nabi Avcı.

A total of 20 countries and autonomic regions populated with Turkic minorities, such as the Republic of Tataristan in Russia or the Republic of Crimea, in the Ukraine, will be participating in the yearly event. Tataristan is an interesting region to mention as it is the home place of Dina Garipova – who represented Russia at Eurovision 2013 – so you could see her again in a Song Contest!

Turkish Broadcaster TRT made it very clear that they would not return to Eurovision until changes were made to the voting system (that they have scored well under) and the Automatic placings of the Big 5 in the Eurovision Grand Final (despite placing above them all every year since 2003, except in 2011 and 2010 where they were runner-up to Lena from Germany) was amended – see here.

Nabi Avcı was eager to stress that “TurkVision”  was “not, as many suggested, an alternative to the European version organized since 1956, but intended to be within the scope of the Turkic world cultural capital events. The cultural capital flag is carried this year by Eskişehir”.

Strong to stress the individual identity of “TurkVision”, Avci went on to say that “Turkvision” does not need to be compared to Eurovision. It will have its place in the Turkic world with its own brand value. Whether we participate or not in Eurovision, I hope that Turkvision will move forward in its own path, growing and expanding year-by-year……and act a meeting space for young musicians”.

“This project is part of the Turkic world cultural capital event. Hopefully, the next towns selected as the  ‘cultural capitals’ will pursue the event,” he said.

TRT are determined to make this a success as they even drafted in Azerbaijan’s Eurovision Winners from 2011 – Ell & Nikki – to help launch the Contest.

It is not the first International event that Turkey has created. A grand inauguration ceremony was held at the “19 Mayis Stadium” in Ankara on June 1st to celebrate the 11th International Turkish Language Olympiad, “a festival that celebrates the Turkish language and this year brought together 2,000 students from 140 countries around the world.

The 11th Olympiad, which is organized by the International Turkish Education Association (TRKEDER) each year as part of the International Language and Culture Festival, was held between June 1 and 16. A total of 99 activities were held in 55 cities across Turkey during this 16-day period. The large inauguration ceremony held to mark the start of the Olympiad in Ankara on Saturday June 1st saw the participation of several ministers and many other high-ranking government officials as well as about 20,000 spectators.”

With Turkey still seeking admission to the EU both “TurkVision” and the “Turkish Language Olympiad” are certainly attempts for the country to counteract the EU’s concerns on the country’s Human Rights stance.

It is certain that “TurkVision” will give Turkish Eurovision fans at home and their Diaspora, something to cheer about. The contest will have 2 semi finals (10 in each) competing for 12 places in the Grand Final. The dates for the contest are December 19th and 21st for the Semi Finals and then December 23rd for the Grand Final.

Is this the definitive sing that we will not see Turkey return to Eurovision again?

Time will tell.

Author/Website co-founder and Editor in Chief Garrett Mulhall

Source : hurriyetdailynews.com, TRT and Eurovision Ireland