APersonIndependent states
Tarkan
The world's best-known voice of Turkish pop (b. 1972); his "Şımarık" swept Europe in the late 1990s.
Tarkan Tevetoğlu was born to a Turkish family in Alzey, Germany, and returned to Türkiye as a teenager. His first album came out in 1992.
In 1997 "Şımarık" from the album "Ölürüm Sana" entered the charts in many European countries; remembered for its kissing sounds, it was one of the first Turkish-language pop songs to spread so widely. It was written by Sezen Aksu.
Songs such as "Şıkıdım", "Kuzu Kuzu" and "Dudu" have also reached millions. Tarkan has released an English-language album but continues to sing mainly in Turkish.
Sources
Updated: October 2, 2026