Turkish composer and pianist Fazıl Say has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and called on Western music institutions and fellow artists to denounce the war.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Say criticized what he described as the pro-Israel stance of leading Western classical music organizations. “The leading classical music institutions in Western countries are so pro-Israel that this is a disgrace to me,” he wrote, adding that he feels isolated even while performing.
Batı ülkelerindeki başlıca klasik müzik kurumları o derece İsrail yanlısı ki, bu benim için utanılacak bir durumdur. Çok yalnız hissettiğim bir ortamdayım, müzik taparken, duyguları paylaşırken bile…
Öylesine ki, öyle manipüle ki, Filistin destekçelerini “antisemitizm” ile…— Fazıl Say (@fazilsaymusic) September 16, 2025
He said cultural circles were distorting the debate by labeling supporters of Palestine as antisemitic. “What is happening in Gaza is genocide. Period!” he wrote. “Wake up, music world! Be humane, please. Do not stay silent in the face of such helplessness, such injustice.”
Say acknowledged the risks of speaking out, saying canceled concerts would not deter him. “I want to live the rest of my life with honor,” he said.
His appeal comes as international concern grows over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. A global monitoring body declared famine in parts of Gaza City in August, reporting that one in five households faced extreme shortages leading to malnutrition and death.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 64,900 Palestinians have been killed and over 165,000 injured since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.
The pianist has faced professional backlash before. In 2023 he said Swiss retailer Migros canceled his concerts over social media comments criticizing Israel, replacing him with Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel. Migros confirmed the cancellations, calling his remarks after the Hamas attack on Israel “not defendable.”
In one of his comments at the time, Say responded to a message posted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on X in which he accused Israel of a rocket strike on a hospital in Gaza. “[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu should stand trial for war crimes, genocide and massacres,” Say stated.
Say has also criticized Hamas, saying in an October 2023 video that “nobody in the world would approve innocent people being attacked with weapons, thousands of people dying.”
Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide. Earlier this month, the International Association of Genocide Scholars also concluded it meets the definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
A UN commission has found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction, and accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and other top officials of incitement of genocide.
Israel rejects those allegations, saying its military operations target Hamas and are carried out in self-defense.