We travelled through the Eurovision history books to find our Top 5 favourite tunes from Turkey. With so many amazing songs to choose, from, here are the five that impressed us the most!
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Athena – For Real (2004)
One of the biggest honours for Eurovision artists is to perform on home soil, and for Turkey, Athena had that pleasure. The rock-ska band brought the energy to the Eurovision stage, and seeing the audience bounce up and down with the beat is something special. Even with the rock undertones, the song still maintained the musical identity of Turkey, especially during the bridge of the song. The verses of the song aren’t the most memorable, but they make up for it in the choruses. This is a fun performance that stands out in the history of Turkey at Eurovision.
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Hadise – Düm Tek Tek (2009)
This entry was a masterclass of ethnic pop. While Turkey had moderate success with previous pop entries, none were as fierce as Düm Tek Tek. The strong beat maintained that cultural identity, while Hadise absolutely belted out those vocals. She knows how to work the camera which absolutely added to the appeal of the song. There was never a dull moment in the staging, creating an exciting three minutes for viewers in the arena and at home. A well deserved fourth place at Eurovision.
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MFÖ – Diday Diday Day (1985)
I definitely have a soft spot for MFÖ, and in the context of the early Turkish entries at Eurovision, the group really stands out to me. The group has amazing synergy and energy, and it makes for such a fun performance. This is definitely not a timeless performance, but there is something so charming about the matching outfits and bouncy style of performance. The way they walk to the microphones at the start of the performance is smile inducing, not to mention the goofy dancing throughout the performance!
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MaNga – We Could Be The Same (2010)
This was Turkey’s second-best result at the contest, and it really showed the nation’s strength in the rock genre. The song incorporates their usual rap-rock style in the verses and features a belter of a chorus that is burned into the memories of Eurovision fans. The pre-choruses feature that catchy Turkish style beat which was always a staple in their modern-day Eurovision entries. The dark staging with the flashing lights created a great atmosphere, and I mean, any act that incorporates a power tool in the performance deserves a commendation.
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Mor Ve Ötesi – Deli (2008)
This is definitely a sentimental favourite of mine, as it was the song that really sparked my love for Eurovision. Mor Ve Ötesi is an incredible rock band that had an established career before Eurovision, and continued to make amazing music after their appearance at the contest. This song fits in with their discography, featuring the heavy guitars and catchy melodies. The vocals are spectacular, but that’s to be expected of Harun Tekin, vocalist extraordinaire. Considering the instruments aren’t featured in the actual live music, the group plays as if they were. It all adds to the authenticity of the performance, and performing in Turkish was another good move for the group. For me, this is indisputably the best Turkish song at Eurovision!
This article is part of our ‘Good Evening Europe’ series, where we create nation-focused content. Check out our other content for Turkey here.