Turkey: TRT confirms absence in Eurovision 2016

National broadcaster TRT has confirmed that Turkey will not return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016. TRT states on their Teletext page: “There is currently no intention to return to the contest, even though we still see the relevance of Eurovision.”

Turkey participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 34 times from their debut in 1975 to their withdrawal in 2013. Turkey have always qualified for the grand final, except the 2011 Contest, since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004. TRT announced their withdrawal in late 2012, citing dissatisfaction with the rules of the competition. The mixed jury/televote voting system and the direct places in the final for several countries are amongst the reasons TRT withdrew.

Below you can see the statement of TRT (in Turkish) on their Teletext pages:
TRT Teletext