For the past 12 years, Turkey has deliberately refrained from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizing the event for promoting what he perceives as "gender neutralization" and posing a threat to traditional family values, as reported by the Associated Press.

During a speech following a cabinet meeting, Erdogan condemned the Eurovision contestants as "Trojan horses of social corruption" and asserted his government's prerogative to abstain from the pan-European pop contest since 2012.

Erdogan's remarks were notably directed at Swiss singer Nemo, who recently clinched victory at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," a pop-rap composition celebrating the singer's embrace of a non-binary identity. At 24, Nemo became the first non-binary winner of the competition, which has long served as a platform embraced by the LGBTQ+ community.

Expressing disdain for the event, Erdogan lamented, "It has become impossible to encounter a normal person at such gatherings." His sentiments reflect the stance of his ruling Justice and Development Party, which draws from Turkey's Islamic heritage and has shown diminishing tolerance towards LGBTQ+ rights in recent years.

"We now realize the wisdom of our decision to keep Turkey out of this disgraceful competition for the past 12 years," Erdogan affirmed.

Furthermore, Erdogan raised concerns over Turkey's declining birth rates, labeling it an "existential threat" and a "disaster" for the nation during his address on Monday.