27 Famous Turkish Songs

“… dan sonra” by Sıla

Song Year: 2007

Sıla cooperated with Kenan Doğulu for this pop hit whose fast, dense lyrics mean the song packs in much more than you’d expect from a tune of this length. This is an intensely personal song, focusing on improving after betrayal and not being answerable to the same people who hurt her.

Sıla also emphasizes her opinion that people who go back on their word are despicable, while others who are too confident in themselves should break down their pride. On top of that, she talks about how people can and should control their fates, continuing a theme of independence that runs through the whole song.

“Cumhuriyet” by Yalın

Song Year: 2007

“Cumhuriyet” is a song about finding answers. In it, Yalın asks questions about how a space in his heart feels and his uncertainty over what it truly means. The reality for many people is that emotions are deeply complicated and understanding them can take time.

“Git” by Candan Erçetin

Song Year: 2009

Git is fundamentally a farewell song, where Candan tells someone to leave before their presence continues hurting her. Emotions can be hard to control, and here, she’s saying that it can be better to end something quickly and early if you know it’s not going to work out. The alternative is something that can become all-consuming.

The focus on ending things quickly includes a range of specific points, including not leaving contact information or even a letter. Candan also has a few lines about shaming desirable things, including fortune itself if she’s reunited by chance.

“Kal” by Atiye

Song Year: 2009

Atiye collaborated with Teoman for this, framing the song as a conversation between two people. It’s a fundamentally optimistic tune, explaining how the listener can live their life, look forward to changes in the future, and pursue their dreams. This song is a good reminder for anyone who feels a little too stuck.

“Mikrop” by Serdar Ortaç

Song Year: 2010

Mikrop is another fundamentally encouraging song, discussing some of the circumstances of breakups and encouraging people to not trust everything they hear. Instead, Serdar suggests that it’s better to get rid of problems without holding back, and then find someone who genuinely deserves your time and affection.

“Superman” by Hadise

Song Year: 2011

You don’t normally expect references to American comic book heroes in Turkish music, but Hadise worked that into this pop song about making a decision and parting from someone else. She says that even Superman couldn’t regain her respect after losing it so thoroughly, following that with commentary on making up her mind.

“Yakar Geçerim” by Ajda Pekkan

Song Year: 2011

Yakar Geçerim is a song full of advice for others, telling people that they shouldn’t drag things out if a relationship has become a problem. Here, Ajda is aggressive towards anyone who hurts people that care about them, with a distinctly blunt set of lyrics about crushing and burning such behavior.

This song is most valuable to anyone new to relationships. People with little experience often push too hard trying to make something work and only end up hurting themselves in the process. Being able to recognize something as captivity instead of love (as Ajda’s lyrics say) is a genuinely valuable trait.

“Atma” by Sinan Akçıl

Song Year: 2011

Featuring Hande Yener in this song, Sinan’s “Atma” is another song about breakups, which remains popular in many famous Turkish songs. The lyrics emphasize that after someone says a relationship is over, the other’s words can feel old and distant, and it’s better to relax and separate instead of forcing things back together.

Breakup songs are popular around the world, in part because they’re something almost everyone can relate to.

“Sepet” by Demet Akalın

Song Year: 2012

Sepet is a song about effort and acceptance. Here, Demet talks about both people knowing something is wrong and needing to accept it. However, she also talks about making repeated efforts to make relationships work, only to have them fail. At this point, she argues, separating makes more sense than more effort to try and make it work.

“Bi Güzellik Yapsana” by Murat Dalkılıç

Song Year: 2012

Murat’s lyrics are complex here, starting with an explanation about being ready to love but going on from there about an unwillingness to hurt their partner. From there, they talk about boldness and claim they lack it, but move immediately into asking their lover to spend the night with them.

Actions often mean more than words alone, so there’s more to this song than is immediately obvious.