Tarkan's Effect on the Press

By Adelind Osmanlı reporting from Munich, Germany

After paper Milliyet's variety section Cadde published year old news, about a celebrity party Tarkan attended held at Hollywood's prestigious Skybar, where he was snapped with celebrities such as American socialite Kim Kardashian and singer Lionel Richie, Hürriyet has followed suit.

Highlighting the untrustworthiness of some sections of the Turkish press, it seems that Hürriyet reporters don't check their own archives, as it was the same paper's variety correspondent Kubilay Keskin who reported the story in January last year.

The Tarkan Effect

In a report with paper Sabah, Turkish comedienne and TV actress Deniz Özerman has talked about her idolising Tarkan, while making fun of herself.

Explaining that even her actor friends had enough, she said, "Look, my face changes just talking about him. When I first saw him 4-5 years ago, I started shaking. He mistook me for a little girl and rubbed my head. That's how small I felt, think about it... I watch his concerts from the front row and then I make myself go back stage like a groupie. Every time he sees me, "Are you still shaking?" he asks."

Tarkan Pens With the Best

Hürriyet journalist Hakan Gence's Saturday piece on the history of pens and the famous people that have used them reveals that Turkish recording artist Tarkan writes his songs with a Montegrappa pen.

Founded in 1912, Montegrappa is the oldest Italian manufacturer of fine writing instruments. Their products are still manufactured in their original factory in the north-east of Italy.

Tarkan Show at Culture's Capital

Subsequent to paper Zaman's Turkish sections covering the celebrations scheduled to kick off Istanbul's year as the cultural capital of Europe this month, its English section has also printed details of the events set to take place.

"Famous Turkish singers ... will entertain Istanbullites in concerts on stages that will be installed in Istanbul's famous squares, including Taksim Square.

"Among the activities of note taking place during the day will be a fire show in Taksim Square ahead of a concert by Tarkan," Today's Zaman writes.

Meanwhile, media conglomerate NTVMSNBC, deciding to follow the lead of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times has reported on the celebrations with the by-line that Tarkan will be kick-starting the show in Taksim.

In amongst other details, the TV report makes point of the fact that Tarkan will be staging a concert as part of the festivities to signal Istanbul becoming a European Capital of Culture for 2010.

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