The Beşiktaş District Governor’s Office banned the shows on public morals and public order grounds after an Islamist-led smear campaign, framing the bands as “satanic” and “against societal values.”
Official reason
The Beşiktaş District Governorate issued a decision canceling the Slaughter To Prevail (10 Feb) and Behemoth (11 Feb) concerts at Zorlu PSM, stating that the events provoked “public reaction” and were “incompatible with our societal values.”turkiyetoday
Using Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations and Law No. 5442 on Provincial Administration, the governorate imposed a two‑day ban on all concerts, festivals and ticketed events at Zorlu PSM and Zorlu Center, not only these two shows.themosh
Campaign and accusations
In the days before the concerts, pro‑government Islamist outlets such as Akit TV and other commentators accused the bands of promoting satanism and corrupting youth, triggering an online backlash and organized complaints.yahoo
After the decision, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül publicly justified it with the line that “no activity that corrupts society has been permitted in Istanbul and none will be permitted in the future,” explicitly framing the ban as a defense of moral and social values.birgun
Bands’ responses
Slaughter To Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible denied the satanism claims, describing the group as a brutal deathcore band, emphasizing his own belief in God and his guitarist’s Orthodox Christian identity, and stressing that they respect Turkey and its religious sensitivities.bianet
He also said in social media posts that even a small fan meeting in Istanbul after the cancellation was rejected as “too dangerous,” underscoring that authorities treated the controversy as a public‑order risk rather than a routine program change.turkiyetoday
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