Turkey refuses Eurovision again
The Ukrainian host broadcaster of Eurovision 2017, NTU, says that Turkey refuses to return to Eurovision Song Contest 2017
Zurab Alasania, Director General of National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU), says in response to a Tweet, that the Turkish broadcaster (TRT) again refused to participate in Eurovision Song Contest.
Zurab Alasania also revealed that TRT will not even broadcast the event: "Negotiations with a large cable network in Turkey. Not completed yet", he tweets.
TRT demands changes in rules
Last year the head of TRT, Senol Göka, demanded changes in the voting system to be implemented for Turkey to return to Eurovision Song Contest. TRT were not happy with some of the rules, especially the "Big 5"-rule, where the five largest contributors to EBU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain & United Kingdom) are pre-qualified for the grand final every year. TRT also wants 100% televoting implemented.
Turkeys last participation was in Eurovision 2012.
Turkey in Eurovision Song Contest
Turkey appeared in Eurovision in 1975, and has been a part of Eurovision 34 times, almost every year until they decided to withdraw from Eurovision 2013. They won the contest one time, in 2003 where Sertab Erener won with "Everyway That I Can".
The last 10 years Turkey had some very good results, and finished in top-5 five times.
Since the introductions of semi-finals in 2004, they only failed to qualify to the Grand final once, in 2011.
