Turkey will not return to Eurovision in 2020

Turkish broadcaster TRT have ruled out a return to Eurovision, with the EBU confirming that the required paperwork has not been submitted by TRT.

Fellow Eurovision site ESC Turkey contacted the European Broadcasting Union to determine the status of Turkey at Eurovision, to which they reportedly replied that the nation will not be returning in 2020.

The nation last participated in 2012 with Can Bonomo and his song ‘Love Me Back’ then withdrew in 2013 citing disagreements with some of the Eurovision rules, such as the Big 5. The broadcaster has stayed firm in their stance since, and instead created their own song festival in association with TMB TV.

Turkvision Song Contest was designed for predominately Turkish speaking nations and was held between 2013 and 2015. It was then cancelled between 2016 and 2018, but is expected to be held in 2019.

The European Broadcasting Union is welcoming of a Turkish return to Eurovision, especially as Turkey was one of the biggest markets for the competition with millions of viewers tuning into the competition each year.