Taksim Trio Cancels Beirut Performance

Members of the Turkish band, Taksim Trio, announced on Wednesday they are cancelling their performance on September 19 at AUB as part of the Beirut and Beyond International Music Festival, fearing the security situation in the country.

The statement received by Beirut.com to announce the cancellation specifically referenced the ” target=”_new”>la Magnanerie in Jdeideh because of safety concerns.

That same month, Renee Fleming canceled her appearance as the headlining act in the Baalbeck International Festival, blaming “deteriorating security conditions.”

Rock the Ballet, an Australian dance troupe, joined the list in August as it cancelled its performance after hearing about the Turkish pilots’ abduction.

And last week, Cheb Khaled announced he was abandoning his scheduled concert following the Ruwaiss blast in Beirut’s southern suburbs which took the lives of 30 people.

According to the Daily Star newspaper, prosecutor Judge Claude Karam Tuesday charged 13 people, relatives of nine Lebanese hostages held in Syria, over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of two Turkish pilots in a probe that has led to the arrest of three suspects.

The pilots have yet to be released.