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Turkish actor and model Can Yaman sparked discussion during a press conference at Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival, after responding humorously to a question about whether he would sing in Turkish.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the festival’s opening night, Yaman said he would avoid performing in Turkish, joking that doing so could make him “go viral and get arrested” in Türkiye.
The comment came during the promotional events for the Festival di Sanremo, one of Europe’s most prominent music competitions and a major annual television event in Italy.
Although the remark was delivered in a playful tone, it quickly attracted attention online and in Turkish media coverage of the event.
During the same press conference, Yaman also responded to questions about an incident in January in Istanbul, when he was briefly detained as part of a broader anti-drug operation targeting public figures.
Clarifying the situation, the actor said the checks were routine and part of ongoing inspections carried out across Türkiye.
He explained that authorities tested him during the operation and that the results came back negative. According to Yaman, he was released in less than 24 hours.
“There is no case,” he said, describing the situation as a routine control that authorities were conducting widely in the country.
The actor emphasized that the incident had been resolved quickly and that there was no legal issue linked to him following the test results.
Despite declining to sing in Turkish himself, Yaman still brought a playful moment to the Sanremo stage.
During the event, he encouraged Italian singer Laura Pausini to try singing “Kuzu Kuzu,” a well-known pop song by Turkish superstar Tarkan, creating a lighthearted exchange that entertained the audience.
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