Bad Boy to Belly Boy and Back Again

By Kaya Turan reporting from Rochester, UK

Turkish pop singer Tarkan speaks to the media after his release outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, March 1, 2010. (AP Photo)

As every Tarkan fan around the globe will know by now, the end of February was rocked with the news that Turkish recording artist Tarkan was arrested in Turkey as part of a drug raid, where police reportedly found and seized a small amount of hashish at the pop star's country home in the Ömerli district near Istanbul.

Turkish police detained Tarkan, the country's best-known pop star, in a narcotics raid Friday in Istanbul along with nine other people, who were detained for their alleged links with two drug dealers being monitored by narcotics agents.

World-famous pop star Tarkan being taken to the Beşiktas courthouse in Istanbul on Monday. (AP Photo)

Amongst a slew of reports building up as the world famous pop star was being taken to the Beşiktas courthouse in Istanbul today, Turkey's English daily paper Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review reported that co-chairman of the German Green Party Cem Özdemir said he was shocked by the news and did not believe Tarkan would take or be in possession of drugs. "I was extremely upset when I heard the news; Tarkan is very important for Turkey and has played a big part in promoting Turkish music and culture across the world," Özdemir said Tuesday in a statement to the Doğan news agency.

"As someone who knows Tarkan well, I do not believe he has been associated with cocaine," Özdemir said.

It's not surprising that a lot has been said in Turkey about this, and there is no doubt that a lot more will be said in the days ahead. In Tarkan's career there have been landmarks where his personal life has come crashing in on his professional one.

The "pee gaffe", the military issue and rumours about his homosexuality have all caused controversy in the wake of his songs that have pulled at the heartstrings of boys and girls of every nation.

Undoubtedly, the "drug bust" will become one such landmark, and possibly the most impacting one of his career.

Tarkan Deluxe is investigating this issue by talking to sources, including official ones, to bring its readers the story in its own individual style.

Read it here:

1. Tarkan's Fall from Grace?
2. Tarkan's Lawyer Speaks: Tarkan is Innocent
3. What Now for Tarkan?

In Retrospect:

• "I Wish I Was As Famous As Tarkan!"
• The Short Term Memory of the Turkish Press
• The Democracy of the Turkish Press 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Also see:

• Readers' Comments 1 | 2
• The Making of a Moment (Article by Ali Yildirim)
• Life's Lessons (Article by Mark Mayhey)
• The Curse of the Dancing Men (Article by Mark Mayhey)
• Will Tarkan Face the Axe? (Article by Mark Mayhey)

From the News Section:

• Tarkan Releases Press Statement
• Public Trust in Tarkan Rises
• Tarkan Keeps on Composing
• A Victim of Politics?
• The Tarkan Paradox
• Support for Tarkan
  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
• Talks of Imprisonment
  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
• Work Cancellations
  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
• Media Buzz
  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33

Read the follow up of the case reports at our sister site Tarkan Translations here:

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