The Istanbul leg of the Al Gore organised Live Earth concerts, due to take place on 7 Jul of course, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsorship support from local businesses.
According to local press, a number of local businesses who might have been expected to help finance the global warming awareness raising concert have shied away from involvement because they are aware that their own environmental records are not great. Insiders say the companies feared that if they became sponsors of Live Earth environmental groups would accuse them of hypocrisy, and as a result their sponsorship would backfire and result in unfavourable coverage.
Among the acts booked to play the Istanbul leg of Live Earth were local talent Sebnem Ferah and Hayko Cepkin. They will no longer be involved in the awareness building event. Instead eight large screens will be erected around Istanbul showing coverage of Live Earth events elsewhere in the world.