Turkey has not participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2012. Talks are currently being held by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) with state broadcaster TRT to allow the country to return to the stage in 2022.
The last time Turkey entered the competition was in 2012, when Can Bonomo finished seventh with Love Me Back. In total, the country participated 34 times. In 2003 Turkey won with Everyway That I Can, sung by Sertab.
In a statement, the EBU said talks are underway with TRT to allow Turkey to return ten years after its last participation for the 2022 edition in Italy. “We know there is a huge interest in Turkey to rejoin, we see it in the large numbers of Turkish fans who are still active on our social media channels. That’s why we are now talking to TRT.”
Turkey hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, when the event was held in Istanbul. TRT has not officially responded to the EBU’s statement yet.