Sertab Erener, Turkey’s Eurovision 2003 winner, was filmed in behind-the-scenes videos of Eurovision 2024, in which she reacts harshly to Israel’s participation in the competition.

More than three months after the Eurovision 2024 finale, a new controversy has emerged involving Sertab Erener, Turkey’s 2003 Eurovision champion. Erener, known for her winning performance of “Everyway That I Can,” made a guest appearance at the 2024 contest. In recent days, backstage footage from Eurovision 2024 shows Erener expressing disapproval of Israel’s participation. In the videos, she allegedly reacts negatively to the Israeli song and suggests that Israel shouldn’t be part of the competition.




The first video that has been circulating online in recent days was recorded during the second semi-final of Eurovision 2024, where Sertab performed alongside past winners Elena Paparizou and Charlotte Perelli. In the video, Sertab is seen preparing for her performance backstage and reacting dismissively to the context of Eden Golan’s song after being informed that it represents Israel.

In the second video, Sertab is seen watching the Eurovision 2024 final from the audience seats, and during Israel’s performance, she says to the camera, “I’m ashamed of Israel’s participation in Eurovision, and I can say that I will oppose it until the end.”




Sertab Erener won Eurovision 2003 after receiving 167 points—2 points more than Belgium. Turkey received 7 points from Israel; without these points, Turkey would have placed only third. The Turkish song was widely played in Israel and achieved relatively great success compared to other Eurovision winners of that period. After her victory, she even visited Israel and met with composer Szvika Pik and singer Lior Narkis, who represented Israel that year, in Tel Aviv. However, Sertab’s reaction against Israel is not surprising, considering that Turkey and Israel have severed relations in recent years.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have experienced ups and downs over the years. Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in 1949. From the late 1980s, Turkey and Israel became allies with security and economic collaborations. However, the strengthening of Islamization under Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule in the last 15 years has led to instability in relations.




The lowest point in relations was recorded with the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in 2023. The Turkish president expressed full support for Hamas, stating: “Hamas is not a terrorist organization but a liberation movement.” He further added that Israel is a “terrorist state”. In recent years, Turkey has been providing financial and logistical support to Hamas and hosting senior members of the organization.

Turkey has not participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2013 due to dissatisfaction with the competition rules. Turkey declared that the reasons for withdrawal were the reintroduction of jury voting in the contest, which Turkey believes disadvantages them, and the automatic qualification of UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy for the final each year, unlike other countries that must participate in semi-finals. Additionally, the Turkish president’s party is considered right-wing conservative. Several LGBTQ organizations claimed that Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the competition was also due to LGBTQ content appearing in the contest.

Source: Eurovisionfun