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The Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism criticized Spotify and other international digital platforms on Saturday for failing to establish local offices in Türkiye despite having significant user bases in the country.
Deputy Minister Batuhan Mumcu took to social media to address what he described as a "serious problem" facing Turkish artists who struggle to find representatives to communicate with on digital platforms.
"Despite having a significant user base in the Turkish market, international digital platforms like Spotify have neither opened a representative office nor taken responsibility toward local music culture," Mumcu stated.
The deputy minister highlighted concerns beyond tax compliance, specifically calling out content algorithms that he believes prioritize sensationalism over quality.
"Promoting content that encourages slang, violence, and illegal substance use in playlists is an unacceptable choice," Mumcu said.
"As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we always stand by our artists who produce quality music in Türkiye. However, digital platforms must share this sensitivity as well. Fulfilling these responsibilities is of great importance in terms of cooperation and sustainability."
The government's criticism comes amid growing frustration from Turkish musicians who feel overlooked by streaming giants.
Popular singer Oguzhan Koc also expressed his frustration on social media, directly addressing the platform: "Dear Spotify Türkiye, will you ever love us too, or should we give up hope on this love? In your pop list, there's rap, in your rap list, there's arabesque. I looked at new releases—they're not actually new."
Koc highlighted the challenges artists face when trying to promote new music: "We're making something new, and you act like we haven't. We look for a contact person for artists, but there isn't one. It's 2025, and it's as if we're offering songs to a music god in the sky, saying, 'Hope they like it,' and waiting. If you want to improve this country's music (and please do), please support musicians who produce quality and consistent work."
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