Top 10 Fun Facts about Tarkan

Top 10 Fun Facts about Tarkan

Tarkan Bagci for Spielothek. Author; Agentur 190. WIKIMEDIA

Tarkan is a Turkish singer-songwriter. Since the early 1990s, with the successful sales of his albums, he has been a prominent figure in pop music and is known in Turkey, Europe and Western Asia.

He is also one of few European singers who has managed to span chart success without singing in English and he is also noted for his live stage performances. He has sold more than 15 million copies of his albums. 

Let’s take a look at some of the fun facts about him;

1. He was named after a comic book character Tarkan

Tarkan in Vienna, 2006, 23 June. Fan meeting. AUTHOR; Klaudia Horváth. WIKIMEDIA

Tarkan Tevetoğlu was born on 17 October 1972 in Alzey, West Germany, to Turkish parents Nese and Ali Tevetoglu. His mother named him after the comic book character Tarkan.

The name Tarkan is said to originate from an ancient Turkic king or title, meaning bold and strong. Tarkan and his five siblings moved to Turkey in 1986 with their parents and settled in Karamürsel, Kocaeli. His love for music started when he was young. 

2. Tarkan’s mother has been married thrice in her life 

Tarkan’s mother has been married three times in her life and has five children including him from her first two marriages. He has three step-siblings named Adnan, Gülay and Nuray, from his mother’s first marriage. 

He also has two siblings a brother, Hakan, and a younger sister, Handan, from her marriage to his father. After his father’s death, his mother married an architect, Seyhun Kahraman, the couple don’t have children together.

3. Tarkan went to Karamursel for his high school education

Tarkan started his high school in Karamursel and took Turkish Art and Music lessons at the Karamürsel Advanced Music Association. After his family moved to Istanbul, he continued his music studies at the Uskudar Music Society and started performing at various venues.

After finishing high school, he made plans to move to Germany for higher education and meanwhile he signed a contract with İstanbul Plak’s owner Mehmet Sogutoglu to release his first album.

4. He almost left his dream for a job in Germany

Tarkan during a concert. AUTHOR; Meyrem777. WIKIMEDIA

After graduating from high school, Tarkan had a string of jobs that led him nowhere in the music arena. Experiencing this disappointment, Tarkan was planning on moving to Germany and leaving his dreams of pursuing music and stardom behind.

However, before his departure, destiny had different plans in store for him as Tarkan met producer Mehmet Sogutoglu who later signed him to his record label Instabul Plak. Tarkan’s music career started there and has since not looked back. 

5. He is one of the few European singers who has managed to span chart success without singing in English

Turkish singer Tarkan. AUTHOR; Hakki.T (Hakki Topcu). WIKIMEDIA

 Tarkan is one of the very few European singers who has managed to span chart success without singing in English. He is also noted for his live stage performances.

Tarkan is one of a few European singers that have managed to span chart success over three continents without singing in English. Often cited as the Turkish Prince of Pop, the German-born singer has charted in Russia, Europe and the Americas with the song “Sımarık” (Kiss Kiss).

He has also been listed by Rhapsody as a key artist in the history of European pop music, with his signature song “Sımarık” as a keystone track that moved the genre forward. 

6. Controversy has always managed to follow Tarkan

Controversy always managed to follow Tarkan throughout his career. Whether his interests, political views, or personal relationships were in question, he has never ceased to be an integral topic of public intrigue.

Tarkan’s quest for self-realization was played out publicly due to his ever-present persona. However, through it all, Tarkan has managed to weather the storm by staying true to his heart, his music, & his fans.

7. Tarkan has received several awards in his career

TARKAN ON STAGE. Photo sourced from WIKIMEDIA

Tarkan has won several awards in his career including; the World music awards in Monaco as the Best selling middle eastern Artist and the Record fair midea in Cannes as Best selling Pop single for Simalik in 1999, The Pud awed in Russia Song of the year for his song Dudu in 2004.

He has also won several domestic awards including; The Kral Tv music awards in 1998, MGD Golden objective awards in 2001, the Kral Tv music awards in 2001, MGD Altin Objektif Ödülleri awards in 2002, Kral Tv music awards in 2003, Kral TV Müzik Ödülleri in 2011, Golden Butterfly Awards in 2011, Golden Butterfly Awards in 2017.

8. He is married to Pinar Dilek and together they have a daughter named Liya

On 29 April 2016, Tarkan married his long-time girlfriend, Pınar Dilek. The couple met in 2011 after a concert in Germany. Dilek had been a fan of Tarkan long before they got acquainted. On 12 July 2018, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Liya. 

Tarkan has also in the past been involved in a relationship with a French model in the early 1990s and with a Turkish journalist between 1994 and 1996. He was also in a relationship with a lawyer, Bilge Öztürk, for seven years until they amicably parted in 2008. 

9. He has released several albums in his career

Turkish rock musician Tarkan Çakır’s rock performance in Istanbul. Author; CRea80. WIKIMEDIA

Tarkan has released several albums in his career including; Yine Sensiz in December 1992, Aacayipsin in May 1994, Olurum Sana in July 1997, Karma in July 2001, and Come Closer in First English album in April 2006.

His other releases are Metamorfoz in December 2007, Adımı Kalbine Yaz in July 2010,Ahde Vefa in March 2016, 10 in June 2017, and Dudu (EP) in June 2003,Metamorfoz Remixes in July 2008,Geccek in February 2022.

At the height of his fame in 1999, Tarkan was called up for military service, which had been legally deferred since 1995. The deadline for beginning his service had passed in 1998, but due to contractual obligations abroad after the success of his compilation album, he did not return to Turkey to do his military service. He however did his service later in 2000.

10. His net worth is around $20 million

TARKAN. PHOTO SOURCED FROM WIKIMEDIA

Tarkan is a Turkish pop singer who has a net worth of around $20 million. Tarkan owns a ranch-like property in Polonezköy, Istanbul, where he cultivates fruit trees and keeps animals, and owned a flat in Murray Hill, New York City.

Tarkan, who had been suffering from sleeping issues and voice disorders due to thyroid nodules, underwent successful surgery at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital in June 2019.