What Tarkan’s New Song Might Whisper In Your Ear

In his column today, Hurriyet’s Ertuğrul Özkök writes about Tarkan and Aysel Gürel: “I’ve been listening to Tarkan’s “Sevdanın Son Vuruşu” for the last three days. The Romantic Prince of the 1990s comes back with this song penned by Aysel Gürel… The last song she wrote before she passed away; a song of farewell.” Özkök then makes a reference to “Kış Güneşi” (The Winter Sun), which he says he listened to hundreds of times when it came out: “And this new song is just like that.” Özkök continues, “In this song, Tarkan is in pain… his soul has exceeded ‘the load limit’… Tarkan has clearly been wounded many times.”

According to Ertuğrul Özkök Tarkan’s new song is a messenger of the arrival of romanticism in music opening the path for other heartfelt great songs: “Our souls will be purified and the water will get clearer” says Özkök and adds: “This is what Tarkan’s new song whispers in my ear”.

Özkök later takes the song as a metaphor to criticize the political scene in Turkey: “Aysel Gürel’s song is like a flag of rebellion waving through Tarkan’s voice.” According to Özkök, “the song is the last strike against any attempt to make Turkey ordinary, scare people and silence them, and a force against the dark forces trying to keep people under surveillance…” He concludes saying, “Yes, this is the last strike of passion… of love. There is no need for any other words. This is the last strike… And it cannot be avoided.”