The Day Satanism Came to Turkey

The 1990s were as turbulent as many other periods in Turkey's history. What made this decade somewhat different, however, was its impact on popular culture. It was the era when private television channels were introduced. They needed ratings. They chased sensational stories, and when there weren't any, they created their own.

Handmade poster for Mayhem's Izmir concert

In Turkey, the 1990s were also a defining decade for youth culture. Heavy metal and death metal found a growing audience, and teenagers with long hair, black makeup, leather jackets, and band T-shirts stood out from the crowd. To many adults, they looked strange, mysterious, and even threatening.

One of Turkey's earliest encounters with the black metal scene came in December 1990, when the Norwegian band Mayhem arrived in İzmir to perform at Fuar Akasyalar Çay Bahçesi. Wearing their signature corpse paint and dressed entirely in black, they looked unlike anything most people in the audience had ever seen. The concert lasted only three songs before the police ordered the venue owner to cut the electricity, bringing the performance to an abrupt end.

If you're curious about the story behind the Mayhem concert, there's an in-depth

interview with its organizer here:http://www.blackmetalchronicles.com/2019/04/interview-with-arcan-ogutverici-on.html

Almost a decade later, the battle for ratings was in full swing. Private television channels were desperate for sensational stories, and when they couldn't find them, they often created them. The underground scene became one of their favorite targets.

Heavy metal fans were portrayed as Satanists and even accused of sacrificing cats—anyone who has ever been to Turkey knows why that was the last straw. Turks adore their cats. Public tolerance evaporated. A kind of witch hunt followed, and the police went out looking for these so-called Satanists.