On Friday 6 November, Hadise will participate in a press conference during which the structure and rules of the upcoming Turkish song selection will be announced. Until that date, no announcements will be made, as stipulated in the TRT contract.

In regard to the composer(s) of the songs for Turkish selection, Hadise responds to queries whether only Turkish composers will be charged with the task of creating songs for her. The singer remains guarded however, simply reiterating that “TRT have asked us to come on the 6th of November having not revealed anything.”

Since an appearance on Turkish TV (TRT), comments have been flying around that Hadise would rather represent Belgium in ESC than Turkey. This is “a misunderstanding” according to the singer. “I had said that I’d asked if it were possible to participate in ESC for Belgium. But I would opt for Turkey over Belgium as they are more organised. That is my only reason.”  This year the French-speaking network RTBF is responsible for selecting the Belgian entry. “If the French-speaking broadcaster had asked me, and there wasn’t the option of participating for Turkey, I would have wanted to go with Belgium”.

When asked whether her preference for a Turkish place in the contest over a Belgian one was influenced by the perceived influence of the pan-European Turkish diaspora, Hadise replies, “That factor has never influenced my decisions. That the Turkish entry can count on the votes of the Turkish diaspora is a fact. But what can I say? The likelihood is that next year, juries are brought back in. I am very happy with this because everyone complains about the current situation. This just puts things back in the balance.”

Hadise was snapped up for a recording contract after the fourth live show of her Belgian X Factor appearances. There were, however, critics of her performances in the competition but Hadise responds “It is OK to make mistakes. Imagine if everything would be perfect from the very first show? That would be boring”.

Hadise is pleased to learn that former Greek entrant and host Sakis Rouvas is hosting the Greek edition of X Factor this year, ahead of a second attempt at Eurovision glory in 2009. “Really? I had no idea” she states, and adds that a meeting between the two “would be fun”.

When asked of the cold relationship between Turks and Greeks, Hadise says that she has become very interested in Greece. “The Greeks and Turks are somewhat: a bit motivated by tradition. Those political situations are the past; I hope that we can keep those who support us.”

an exclusive interview in English, in collaboration with www.eurosong.be