On the occasion of his re-election Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidency of Turkey, the rapper Ezhel – who has been living in Germany for the last three years – makes it clear that he is not thinking of returning to his homeland.

“I can’t stand it anymore in my country! Even if I can never come back, you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart,” he wrote in an Instagram post addressing his fans.

He expressed concern for the youth in Turkey. “I wish I could fight for your dreams. Never give up,” he said and added: “Only you can save yourselves.”

He admitted that his adaptation to Germany was not easy: “I too have to adapt to the country where I live (…), but after a certain age it is not easy.”

Ezhel – or Sercan Ikpetsioglu, as his real name is – is one of the most popular rappers in Turkey and in 2018 he was honored with the “Golden Butterfly” award. He has caused backlash with songs that criticized the government, expressed solidarity with minorities and referred to drug use.