Marina Satti, Greece’s representative for Eurovision 2024, faces harsh criticism in Greece after comparing her country to Turkey, a nation with which Greece has very cold relations.

Marina Satti, Greece’s representative for Eurovision 2024, continues her local career in Greece. While garnering awards and appreciation from audiences attending her tour, she’s also embroiled in significant scandals and keeps getting into trouble. In June, she clashed with TV host Athinais Nega at a local awards ceremony for speaking against Israel. In September, eggs were thrown at her during a performance. Now, she faces severe criticism after comparing her country to Turkey, a nation that has hostile relations with Greece.

Marina Satti performed in Istanbul, Turkey, in an unprecedented move, given the long-standing hostility between the two countries. Turkey, or more precisely the Ottoman Empire, was an occupying force in Greece, which fought for its independence and liberation. Many Greeks who lived in what is now Turkey lost their homes there. The Greek heritage that was prevalent in today’s Turkish lands, especially in Istanbul, was erased from the surface.

Despite all this, Marina Satti declared during her performance: “For me, this (Istanbul) is the most beautiful city in the world. I feel like I left home, but I’m still at home, outside of home. We are totally the same, yes! There are so many things that unite us – from the kind people who open their homes to you and offer you something to drink to… the weather, the landscape. I love your culture, I’m trying to learn more things and find songs.”

This statement by Satti did not go unnoticed in Greece, which, as mentioned, has very cold relations with the Turks. She faced harsh criticism, including from TV presenter Vaggelis Perris, who irritatedly said: “What Ms. Satti said is excessive, it was not said at the right time or place, or more precisely at a different time and place. She’s right in saying she feels at home there. Our home was there, but that home was conquered, the enemy entered the city, people came, burned everything, and resettled it. You can’t forget all that. You can’t talk about shared culture and compare Greek culture to the culture of people who came from the East and took lands that aren’t theirs, just don’t say anything!“

This is not the first time, as mentioned, that Marina Satti has gotten into trouble with controversial statements in Greece, once against Israel, and now with statements that may seem innocent and peace-loving but are directed against her own country’s historical heritage. Satti may have achieved a relatively high position in Eurovision, but she failed as a representative of her country, and she will be remembered in Greece as a poor representative who does not represent the values and traditions of her nation.

Greece in Eurovision 2024

“Zari” is the title of the song performed by singer Marina Satti, who was selected through an internal selection process by the Greek national broadcaster. Greece qualified for the final after placing fifth in the second semi-final with 86 points, and in the grand final, they finished in 11th place with 126 points.

Source: topontiki.gr

Eurovision 2025: This will mark Greece’s 45th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.