Sezen Aksu: The Life Story Behind Turkey's Queen of Pop

Sezen Aksu is called the Queen of Turkish Pop, and the title is not an exaggeration, because for more than fifty years, her songs have been the soundtrack of Turkey, sung at weddings, on long drives, in kitchens, and in the hearts of millions of people. She is a singer, a songwriter, and a producer, and she has written songs for herself and for other stars, songs that became hits, and songs that became classics, and she has done it with a voice that is warm, honest, and unmistakably hers.

She was born in a small town, she grew up in Izmir, and she came to Istanbul as a young woman with a dream of singing, and she made that dream real, one song at a time, until she became the most important female singer in Turkish pop music. She did not become famous overnight. She studied, she sang, she wrote, and she worked hard, and she built a career that has lasted longer than most singers’ lifetimes.

What makes her story worth telling is how much she has given to Turkish music, not only as a singer, but as a songwriter who wrote hits for Tarkan, for Sertab Erener, and for many other stars, and as a mentor who helped young singers find their voices. She is not just a star. She is a teacher, a mother figure, and a legend, and her songs are part of the culture of Turkey, in a way that few artists ever achieve.

This is the story of a girl from a small town who became the Queen of Turkish Pop, a woman who wrote songs that millions of people sing by heart, and who changed Turkish music forever, with her voice, her words, and her heart.

A Small Town, Izmir, and a Girl Who Loved to Sing

Sezen Aksu was born on 13 July 1954 in Sarayköy, a small town in Denizli province in Turkey, and her birth name was Fatma Sezen Yıldırım, but the world would come to know her as Sezen Aksu, a name that means a voice, a song, and a star. Her family moved to Izmir when she was a child, and she grew up in that sunny Aegean city, with its sea, its markets, and its music, and with a love of singing that showed itself early.

As a girl, she loved to sing, and she sang whenever she could, at home, at school, and with friends, and she had a strong voice, and a natural sense of melody, and people noticed. She took part in school shows, she sang in choirs, and she dreamed of a life on stage, even though a career in music was not a safe or easy choice for a young girl from a modest family. Her family supported her, and they encouraged her to follow her talent, and to study, and to work hard.

She went to school in Izmir, and she studied, but music was always the centre of her life, and she learned to play, to sing, and to write songs, by listening to the radio, by singing along, and by practising whenever she could. She was a serious young musician, and she wanted to learn, to improve, and to make music that mattered, not just music that was popular for a summer.

The Izmir of her youth was a lively city, with a mix of cultures, with cafes, with music, and with a feeling that a young person with talent could make a life there, and Sezen found that life, in small stages, in local events, and in the company of other young musicians who shared her dream. Those early years taught her discipline, and they taught her that a singer must work hard, must practise, and must learn to handle a stage.

Her family, and especially her mother, was important to her, and she has spoken about how her mother supported her, and how her love shaped her, and that love appears in her songs, which are often about family, about home, and about the people who raise us. She never forgot where she came from, and she never forgot the small town and the city that made her.

Istanbul, First Songs, and a Young Star

In the early 1970s, Sezen moved to Istanbul, the biggest city in Turkey, to study and to pursue a career in music, and she began to sing in clubs, to record, and to look for a chance to be heard. Istanbul was a different world from Izmir, bigger, busier, and full of musicians, and a young singer had to work hard to be noticed, but Sezen was determined, and she kept singing, kept writing, and kept looking for her chance.

Her first hit came in 1975, with the song Olmaz Olsun, which means let it not be, a catchy pop song that made her a known name in Turkey, and that showed that she had a voice, a style, and a personality that audiences loved. She followed it with more songs, and with albums, and she became a rising star in Turkish pop, a young woman with a fresh sound, and with a talent for writing songs that people remembered.

She released her first album, Allahaısmarladık, in 1977, and she continued to record, to perform, and to build her audience, one song at a time, and she learned the music business from the inside, how to record, how to perform, and how to handle fame. She was still young, but she was already a professional, and she was building a career that would last for decades.

In those early years, she also began to write songs for other singers, and she discovered that she had a talent for songwriting, for finding the right words, the right melody, and the right feeling, for a singer, and for an audience. That talent became as important as her singing, and it made her a central figure in Turkish pop, not just a star, but a creator.

By the late 1970s, she was a known name in Turkey, with hit songs, with albums, and with a growing audience, and she was ready for bigger things. She had come from a small town, through Izmir, to Istanbul, and she had made a name for herself, by singing, by writing, and by working hard, and that journey was only the beginning.

Firuze, Gülümse, and the Queen of Turkish Pop

In the 1980s, Sezen Aksu became the Queen of Turkish Pop, with a series of albums that are now classics, including Firuze in 1982, a beautiful album with songs that are still sung today, and Gülümse in 1991, which means smile, an album that became one of the biggest hits of her career. These albums showed her at her best, as a singer with a warm voice, as a songwriter with a gift for words, and as an artist who could make a pop song feel like poetry.

Her songs in those years were about love, about loss, about hope, and about life, and they spoke to people in a way that felt personal, as if she were singing about their own lives. She wrote in simple Turkish, with words that everyone could understand, and with melodies that everyone could remember, and that simplicity was her strength, because it made her songs accessible to millions of people, young and old, rich and poor.

She also became a producer, working with young singers, helping them to find their sound, and writing songs for them that became hits, and she became known as a mentor, a person who could spot talent, and who could help a young singer become a star. She was generous with her talent, and she shared it, which is a rare thing in a competitive business, and it earned her love and respect.

By the 1990s, she was not just a singer. She was an institution, a name that everyone in Turkey knew, a voice that belonged to the whole country, and a songwriter whose songs were part of the culture. Her concerts filled halls, her albums sold in large numbers, and her songs were played on the radio every day, and she was at the top, and she stayed there.

The title Queen of Turkish Pop was not given to her by a record company. It was given to her by the people, by the audience who loved her songs, and who sang them, and who made her a part of their lives. That is a title that cannot be bought, and it is a title she earned, song by song, year by year.

Songwriter for a Generation: Tarkan, Sertab, and More

One of the most important parts of Sezen Aksu’s career is her work as a songwriter for other singers, because she wrote some of the biggest hits in Turkish pop, songs that made other stars famous, and that became classics in their own right. Her most famous collaboration was with Tarkan, the pop star, for whom she wrote the song Şımarık, known in English as Kiss Kiss, a song that became a hit around the world, and that introduced Turkish pop to a global audience.

She also wrote for Sertab Erener, for Ajda Pekkan, and for many other singers, and her songs helped to shape Turkish pop in the 1990s and 2000s, giving it a sound that was modern, catchy, and deeply Turkish at the same time. She was not just a singer who wrote for herself. She was a songwriter who could write for anyone, finding the right song for the right voice, and that skill made her one of the most important figures in Turkish music.

Her songwriting is known for its honesty, for its simple words, and for its ability to say something true about love, about life, and about the human heart, in a way that feels both personal and universal. She writes about a mother, about a lover, about a city, and about a memory, and she writes in a way that makes the listener feel that the song is about them, and that is a gift that few songwriters have.

She also helped young singers, mentoring them, producing their albums, and giving them songs, and many of Turkey’s biggest stars owe a debt to her, for her guidance, her songs, and her belief in them. She is known as a mother figure in Turkish pop, a person who nurtures talent, and who wants the next generation to succeed, and that generosity is a central part of her story.

Her work as a songwriter proves that she is not only a great singer, but a great creator, a person whose talent is not limited to her own voice, but extends to the voices of others, and whose songs will be sung long after she stops performing, by singers she helped, and by audiences who love her work.

Later Albums, Farewell to the Stage, and a Living Legend

In the 2000s and 2010s, Sezen continued to release albums, including Düş Bahçeleri in 1996, Deniz Yıldızı in 2008, and Biraz Pop Biraz Sezen in 2017, and each one showed that she was still a relevant artist, still writing songs that touched people, and still singing with the same warmth and honesty that had made her famous. She was not a star of the past. She was a living artist, still creating, still performing, and still loved.

In 2016, she announced that she would stop performing live, saying farewell to the stage after decades of concerts, a decision that saddened her fans, but that she made because she wanted to focus on writing, and because she felt that the time had come to step back from the spotlight. She did not retire from music. She retired from the stage, and she continued to write, to record, and to work, in her own way, at her own pace.

Her farewell was a moment of national sadness in Turkey, with fans, with singers, and with the press paying tribute to her, and thanking her for fifty years of songs, and for a career that had shaped Turkish pop. It was a reminder of how much she meant to her country, and how deeply her songs were woven into the lives of millions of people.

Since then, she has continued to write, to release music, and to be a presence in Turkish culture, even without live concerts, and her songs are still played, still sung, and still loved, by new generations who discover her through their parents, through the radio, and through streaming. She is a living legend, a queen, and a voice that Turkey will always love.

Her later years have also brought controversy, as her lyrics have been debated in public, and as she has spoken out on issues she cares about, and she has faced criticism, as many artists do, but she has kept her dignity, and she has kept writing, which is what she has always done, through good times and bad.

A Voice That Belongs to Turkey

Looking back, Sezen Aksu’s career is a story of a girl from a small town who became the Queen of Turkish Pop, through hard work, through honest songs, and through a voice that spoke to millions of people. She did not become famous overnight. She sang, she wrote, she studied, and she built her career one song at a time, until she became a legend.

Her legacy is clear. She gave Turkey songs that will be sung for generations, she wrote hits for other stars, she mentored young singers, and she showed that a woman could be the most important figure in Turkish pop, not just a singer, but a creator, a producer, and a leader. Her songs are part of the culture of Turkey, and they will be sung long after she stops writing.

Young singers in Turkey look up to her, not only because she is famous, but because she is honest, because she writes her own songs, and because she stayed true to herself. She did not chase fame in another language. She sang in Turkish, about Turkish life, and the world came to her. That is a lesson that lasts.

She remains, in the end, a woman from Sarayköy and Izmir, who became a queen, and who never forgot where she came from. Her story is a reminder that a song can be more than entertainment. It can be a memory, a comfort, and a home, and that is a story worth telling.

Today, when people in Turkey hear a Sezen Aksu song, they smile, they sing along, and they remember. That is the best tribute a singer can receive, that her music has become part of people’s lives, and that it will go on being part of their lives for a long time to come.

Mentorship, Influence, and the Songs That Never Fade

Sezen Aksu’s influence as a mentor is one of the most important parts of her story, because she did not only sing, but she helped young singers find their voices, producing their albums, writing songs for them, and giving them advice that came from fifty years of experience, and many of Turkey’s biggest stars, including Tarkan, Sertab Erener, and others, owe a debt to her, for her guidance, her songs, and her belief in them, when they were young, and unknown.

She has been called a mother figure in Turkish pop, and the title fits, because she nurtures talent, she protects young artists, and she wants them to succeed, not only for themselves, but for Turkish music, and that generosity, in a competitive business, is rare, and it is a sign of a person who understands that music is not a competition, but a shared art, and that helping others makes the whole music better, not worse.

Her songs have also been covered by many singers, in Turkey and abroad, and they have been translated, and they have been sung at weddings, at concerts, and on television, by people who love the melodies, even if they do not know who wrote them, and that is a sign of a great songwriter, that her songs live beyond her own voice, and belong to everyone who sings them, and that is a legacy that will last, long after she stops writing.

She has also influenced Turkish pop in a deeper way, by showing that a pop song can be poetry, that simple words can say something true, and that a singer can be a writer, a producer, and a leader, not just a voice, and that influence, on the sound of Turkish pop, on the way songs are written, and on the way singers think about their work, is a part of her story that is hard to measure, but that is real, and that is felt, in every Turkish pop song that is honest, and simple, and true.

Her concerts, before she stopped performing live, were legendary, with audiences singing every word, with a feeling of a shared celebration, and with Sezen herself, on stage, in a simple dress, with a microphone, and with a band, singing with a warmth that made a large hall feel like a living room, and those concerts, remembered by fans, are a part of Turkish culture, a memory of a time, when a whole country sang together, with one voice.

She has also spoken out on issues she cares about, including women’s rights, freedom of expression, and the importance of kindness, and she has used her fame to say things that matter, even when it was difficult, and even when she faced criticism, and that courage, to speak, when many stars stay silent, is a part of her story, and a part of why she is respected, not only as a singer, but as a person, who cares about her country, and about its people.

Today, her songs are still played on the radio, still streamed online, and still sung by new generations, who discover her through their parents, through films, and through the internet, and she remains a living legend, a queen, and a voice that Turkey will always love, and whose story is not finished, because she is still writing, still recording, and still giving Turkish music new songs, with the same warmth, and the same honesty, that made her famous, fifty years ago.

Her songs have also been used in films, in television, and in theatre, in Turkey and abroad, and they have become part of the soundtrack of Turkish life, played at weddings, at funerals, and at every important moment, because a Sezen Aksu song can say what words alone cannot, about love, about loss, and about hope, and that is a power that few songwriters have, to write a song that becomes a part of people’s lives, not just a hit, but a memory, carried for a lifetime.

She has also been honoured in Turkey, with awards, and with recognition for her contribution to Turkish music, and she is regarded as one of the greatest artists in the history of the country, a woman whose name is known to everyone, and whose songs are part of the national culture, and that is a title that cannot be bought, but must be earned, song by song, year by year, and she has earned it, with fifty years of honest, beautiful, and generous work.

My Take:

I think the first thing I feel about Sezen Aksu is love, because her songs feel like a mother’s voice, warm, honest, and full of care, and they have been with people in Turkey for more than fifty years, through good times and bad. I have not lived in Turkey, yet when I listen to her music, I feel the warmth in her voice, and I understand why millions of people call her the Queen of Turkish Pop. That title is not about fame. It is about love.

I admire her songwriting most of all, because she writes songs that are simple, and simple songs are the hardest to write. She does not use big words or clever tricks. She writes about love, about a mother, about a city, about a memory, and she writes in a way that makes people feel that the song is about them. That is a skill that takes a lifetime to learn, and it is a skill that she has mastered. A song that feels personal to millions of people is a miracle.

What moves me about her story is the way she helped other singers, writing hits for Tarkan, for Sertab, and for many others, and mentoring young artists, without keeping her talent for herself. Many stars are afraid to help others, because they worry the other person will become more famous. Sezen did the opposite. She shared her songs, she produced young singers, and she became a mother figure in Turkish pop. That generosity tells me more about her than any award ever could.

I also think about her journey, from a small town, through Izmir, to Istanbul, and how she made that journey by singing, by writing, and by working hard, without a famous family or a rich background. She was a girl with a voice and a dream, and she made that dream real, one song at a time. That is a story that gives hope to any young person from a small place, who dreams of making music that matters.

Her decision to stop performing live in 2016 also stays with me, because it was a brave and honest decision, to step back from the stage when she felt the time had come, and to focus on writing. Many stars keep performing long after they should stop, because they cannot let go. Sezen let go, with dignity, and she kept writing, which is what she loves most. I respect that choice, because it shows that she understands what matters, and that she is not afraid of change.

There is a sadness in her story too, and it is the sadness of a woman who has lived through many changes in Turkey, who has seen her country change, and who has faced criticism for her lyrics and for her views. She has been attacked in the press, and she has had to live with that, but she has kept writing, and she has kept her dignity. I admire that strength, because it is easy to stop when people criticise you. It is hard to keep going, and she kept going.

For a young songwriter, I think the lesson is to write honestly, in your own language, about your own life, because Sezen wrote in Turkish, about Turkish life, and the whole world listened, when her songs were translated, when Tarkan sang them, and when people heard the feeling in her voice. She did not try to copy American pop stars. She wrote what she knew, and that honesty made her songs universal. That is a better path than copying someone else.

I also learn from her that a long career is built on loyalty, to your audience, to your songs, and to your craft. She has been singing for more than fifty years, and her audience has stayed with her, because she has stayed with them. She did not abandon them when she became famous, and she did not change her style to chase a trend. She kept writing, kept singing, and kept showing up, and that loyalty is why people still sing her songs today.

Her voice matters to me too, because it is not a perfect voice in the technical sense, but it is a true voice, warm, a little rough, and full of feeling, and that truth is more important than perfection. When she sings, you believe her, because she means every word, and that belief is what makes a singer great, not a perfect note. I think many young singers try to sound perfect. Sezen teaches us to sound true.

I think about her as a mother figure in Turkish pop, and about the young singers she mentored, and I realise that a great artist is not only a star, but a teacher, a person who helps the next generation, and who wants them to succeed. That is a legacy that lasts longer than any hit song, because the singers she helped will help others, and her influence will go on, through them, for generations.

For a reader who has never heard her music, I would say to start with Firuze, or with Gülümse, and to listen to the words, even in translation, and to feel the warmth in her voice, because that warmth is the heart of her work. You do not need to speak Turkish to feel it. You can hear it in her singing, in the melody, and in the way the audience sings along. That is the power of a great song.

In the end, I think Sezen Aksu teaches us that a song can be a home, a memory, and a comfort, and that a singer who writes honestly, who shares her talent, and who never forgets where she came from, can become a queen, not by wearing a crown, but by earning the love of millions of people. That is a legacy I would be proud of.

I keep thinking about her mentorship, and about what it means for a star to help young singers, to write songs for them, to produce their albums, and to believe in them, when they are unknown, because many stars are afraid to help others, worried that the other person will become more famous, but Sezen did the opposite, she shared her talent, she gave her songs, and she became a mother figure in Turkish pop, and that generosity tells me more about her than any award ever could, because it is a gift, given freely, and without expecting anything in return.

I also think about her songs being covered by other singers, and about how a great song lives beyond its writer, sung by many voices, in many places, and I realise that Sezen’s songs have that life, because they are simple, honest, and true, and they belong to everyone who sings them, and that is a legacy that no chart position can measure, because it lives in people’s hearts, and in their voices, long after the original recording fades.

Her influence on Turkish pop also deserves more thought, because she showed that a pop song can be poetry, that a singer can be a writer, and that simple words can say something deep, and that influence, on the way Turkish songs are written, is felt in every honest pop song today, and it is a part of her story that is hard to see, but that is real, and that is why she is called the Queen, not only because she sang, but because she changed the music itself.

I think about her concerts, and about the feeling of a hall full of people, singing every word, together, with Sezen on stage, in a simple dress, with a microphone, and I realise that this is a kind of magic, a shared moment, when a whole audience becomes one voice, and that magic, created by a singer, and by her songs, is a rare and precious thing, and it is a memory that fans carry for a lifetime, and that is why her farewell to the stage in 2016 was a moment of national sadness, in Turkey.

Another thought that stays with me is about her courage to speak out, on issues she cares about, even when it was difficult, and even when she faced criticism, because many stars stay silent, afraid of losing fans, but Sezen speaks, with honesty, and with kindness, and that courage is a part of her character, and a part of why she is respected, not only as a singer, but as a person, who cares about her country, and about its people, and who is willing to say so, even when it costs her.

I also reflect on her voice, and on how it is not perfect, in a technical sense, but it is true, warm, a little rough, and full of feeling, and that truth is more important than perfection, because when she sings, you believe her, and that belief is what makes a singer great, not a perfect note, and I think many young singers try to sound perfect, and they forget to sound true, and Sezen teaches us to sound true, first, and always.

There is a lesson here about longevity, and it is a lesson I want to remember, because Sezen has been singing for more than fifty years, not by chasing trends, but by being herself, by singing in Turkish, by writing honest songs, and by staying true to her audience, and that loyalty, to her home, to her language, and to her fans, is why they have stayed loyal to her, in return, and that mutual loyalty is a beautiful thing, and a rare one, in pop music, where most stars fade after a few years.

I think about her childhood in Izmir, and about the small town, Sarayköy, where she was born, and about how a girl from a small place can become a queen, by singing, by writing, and by working hard, and I realise that her story gives hope to any young person from a small town, who dreams of making music that matters, and who is willing to work for it, one song at a time, without a famous family, or a rich background, but with talent, and with a dream.

Her work with Tarkan also deserves more thought, because Şımarık became a hit around the world, and it introduced Turkish pop to a global audience, and Sezen wrote it, not for herself, but for another singer, and that generosity, to write a world hit for someone else, is a sign of a songwriter who cares more about the song, than about who sings it, and that is a rare and generous quality, in a business where many songwriters keep their best songs for themselves.

I also think about the future, and about young songwriters in Turkey, who look up to her, as an example of a writer who is honest, who writes in her own language, and who never forgets where she came from, and I hope they learn from her, not only about songwriting, but about generosity, about mentorship, and about the importance of helping the next generation, because that is how music grows, and how a culture stays alive, through teachers, who give, and students, who learn, and who pass it on.

In the end, I think the extra chapter of her life, the mentorship, the influence, and the songs that never fade, makes her story richer, because it shows a woman who is not only a singer, but a teacher, a mother figure, and a legend, whose songs will be sung for generations, by singers she helped, and by audiences who love her work, and that is a legacy that lasts longer than any single hit, because it lives in others, and it goes on, through them.

Finally, I return to the image of the piano, at sunset, over the Bosphorus, because that image captures her story, a woman at a piano, with music, with a view of Istanbul, and with a song in her heart, and I hope that image stays with readers, as a picture of a queen of pop, who wrote songs that millions of people sing by heart, and who will be remembered, for as long as people in Turkey sing, and love, and remember.

I also think about the simple warmth of her voice, and about how it feels like a mother’s voice, or a friend’s voice, singing a song that you know by heart, and I realise that this warmth is a gift, that cannot be taught, only earned, through a life lived, and through songs sung, for fifty years, with honesty, and with love, and that is why audiences in Turkey love her, not only as a singer, but as a person, who has been with them, through good times and bad, with a song for every moment.

And I think about the young songwriters who learn from her, who listen to Firuze, and to Gülümse, and who try to write songs that are simple, honest, and true, and I hope they learn the right lessons, not only about melody, but about generosity, about mentorship, and about the importance of helping the next generation, because Sezen did that, for Tarkan, for Sertab, and for many others, and that generosity is a part of her legacy, that will go on, through the singers she helped, and through the songs they will write.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was Sezen Aksu born?

Sezen Aksu was born on 13 July 1954 in Sarayköy, a small town in Denizli province, Turkey, and she grew up in Izmir. Her birth name was Fatma Sezen Yıldırım, and she later became known as Sezen Aksu.

What are Sezen Aksu’s most famous albums?

Her most famous albums include Firuze from 1982 and Gülümse from 1991, which means smile, as well as Düş Bahçeleri, Deniz Yıldızı, and Biraz Pop Biraz Sezen. Her songs from these albums are still sung by heart in Turkey today.

What songs did Sezen Aksu write for Tarkan?

She wrote Şımarık, known in English as Kiss Kiss, for Tarkan, a song that became a hit around the world and introduced Turkish pop to a global audience. She also wrote for Sertab Erener, Ajda Pekkan, and many other Turkish stars.

Why is Sezen Aksu called the Queen of Turkish Pop?

She is called the Queen of Turkish Pop because for more than fifty years her songs have been the soundtrack of Turkey, and because she is not only a singer but a songwriter, producer, and mentor who shaped Turkish pop music. The title was given to her by the people who love her songs.

Did Sezen Aksu retire from performing?

In 2016 she announced that she would stop performing live, saying farewell to the stage after decades of concerts, to focus on writing and recording. She did not retire from music, and she has continued to write and release songs since then.

Where did Sezen Aksu grow up?

She grew up in Izmir, a sunny city on the Aegean coast, after her family moved there from Sarayköy when she was a child. Izmir’s sea, markets, and music shaped her, and she later moved to Istanbul to pursue her career.