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The Turkish promoter behind upcoming concerts by British rock band Muse and pop star Robbie Williams has withdrawn from all its projects after its owner denounced a protest-linked consumer boycott in a social media post, drawing backlash amid nationwide unrest over the jailing of İstanbul’s opposition mayor, BBC’s Turkish service (BBC Türkçe) reported on Tuesday.
The announcement came on a nationwide “no-buy” day called by Turkey’s main opposition leader Özgür Özel, who urged citizens to halt purchases at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations and online platforms to protest the mass detention of students demonstrating in support of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Student groups first proposed the day, which the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) later endorsed as part of a broader pushback against what it describes as government repression.
Concert organizer DBL Entertainment told BBC Türkçe that while it was withdrawing from all events, the planned concerts would not be canceled. The company said new organizers would be appointed by the artists’ teams, with announcements expected in the coming days.
The backlash erupted after DBL owner Abdülkadir Özkan posted on X, denouncing protests at a branch of the EspressoLab coffee chain — one of several businesses targeted in the boycott campaign. Sharing a comment about a scuffle involving protesters at the café, Özkan called the incident “an explicit enmity toward capital” and labeled it “treason.” The post triggered a wave of criticism, including calls to boycott concerts promoted by DBL.
Özkan temporarily shut down his account, then returned to say he had been misunderstood and that his comments were aimed only at “a few provocateurs,” not at peaceful demonstrators. “I am deeply sorry for the misunderstanding,” he wrote.
According to BBC Türkçe, tickets for Muse’s June 11 show in İstanbul were set to go on sale April 3, while Robbie Williams was scheduled to perform in the city on October 7. Ane Brun, a Norwegian singer also booked through DBL, canceled her October appearance following the controversy. Muse and Williams have yet to comment.
The protest and boycott movement grew after İmamoğlu’s March 19 detention on corruption charges that he denies. His detention and subsequent arrest triggered Turkey’s largest street demonstrations since 2013, with nearly 2,000 people detained and widespread reports of police violence against student protesters.