On Friday Mersin Festival 2006 began with a dinner at the Macit Ozcan Sporting Complex (named after Mersin’s current mayor) and a Mustafa Sandal concert. This was the 5th(?) Mersin Festival. I have attended previous festivals.

Representatives from virtually all Mersin organisations were invited to the dinner. In total, approximately 1,500 guests attended the pork barrelling evening, including Deniz Baykal, CHP’s national president. Deniz also spoke at a political rally with Macit Ozcan earlier on the 8th.

Over the next week of the festival there will be free public concerts from famous Turkish music stars Yavuz Bingol (tonight), Kenan Dogulu (12th), Candan Ercetin (14th) and Haluk Levent (16th). Candan Ercetin must not hold fears as her previous Mersin Festival concert went off with a bang.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Haluk Levent in concert but I won’t be able to as that night I’m attending Pearl Jam’s concert at the Verona Arena. Yeah baby!