German Pianist Davide Martello, known for his public performances in regions experiencing conflict and protest, has been deported from Turkey following plans for a performance in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district.
Davide Martello had announced plans yesterday (April 2) for a performance at Kadıköy’s Mehmet Ayvalıtaş Square.
Before Martello was able to take the stage, he released an Instagram post announcing that police had prevented him from playing. Describing being taken into custody, Martello said:
“I was detained by around 20 police officers who forced me to share an Instagram post saying ‘I will not be able to play tonight.’ “
Martello detailed in a further post how police officers had forced him to drive to the Bulgarian border with police accompaniment and that they had allegedly damaged the trailer carrying his piano during his detention.
Following Martello’s entry into Bulgaria, the musician shared a post saying “I’m finally back in a democratic world.”