sezen aksu vs yıldız tilbe: blood feud
february 2021 • 5 episodes + 1 bonus • 130 minutes total • 4 million views
this was a passion project of mine that i dreamt of for years during my teens. for me, it was about a political and sociological story which showcased the emergence of the turkish pop music industry, the liberalization of the 1990s, and entertainment industries changed by emerging technologies and liberal laws - shown through the lives of 2 icons of turkish pop music, who were not talking to each other for years despite their intimacy and connection before.
sezen aksu is probably the most famous and impactful singer and songwriter in turkish pop music with her emotional ballads and pop songs, not only that she sang but also gave to other singers since the 1970s. she is known for raising other generations of singers and collaborating with highly talented musicians. tilbe was one of them, first meeting her while singing in a local bar and then becoming her vocalist and living with her and other musicians in a house in istanbul. later she was kicked out from this house due to her affair with aksu’s ex, and she started to pen her songs that kicked her into stardom. she has suffered from the fame and became the first public figure that was arrested for marijuana use. she later became known for her eccentric personality, honesty, and emotionally charged songs.
the research process
i proposed this project while applying to şokopop, arguing tilbe was in love with aksu, and tilbe was shunned also due to her kurdish identity. (later i found out we are distant relatives.) they were not quite convinced, so i took several months to research my claims. as always, it expanded over only these two stars and included many other social and political events, mysterious cases, and figures of turkey’s near history.
it investigates urban legends and gossips about the life of two stars based on extensive research and evidence and storytelling.
the complete series
episode 1: “90’s turkish pop”
exploring:
- tilbe’s obsession with aksu and their meeting story
- 90’s turkish pop explosion
- sezen aksu’s musical “clan”, their intimacy and their impact in turkish pop music industry
- tilbe’s experience in the clan and her demise through her hookup with uzay heparı
episode 2: “uzay heparı”
exploring:
- the dissolution of sezen aksu clan
- death of young and talented producer uzay heparı, and its connection to a mysterious spiritual cult led by old military officer that encompasses other pop singers, and also a woman that is abused by them. this military officer also was rumored to torture political prisoners during the 90s, and later assassinated by an unknown perpetrator
- tilbe’s rise to fame and her musical identity
episode 3: “culture mosaic”
exploring:
- aksu’s synthesis of eastern and western music and its impact in political climate of 1990s
- the open air concerts of 1990s and its current situation
- the arrest of tilbe due to drugs and her failing career
episode 4: “scandal”
exploring:
- the onyx bar scandal between aksu and tilbe where tilbe tried to get on stage, kiss aksu, then get kicked out of bar and hit aksu’s car with her own car
episode 5: “final”
exploring:
- revival of tilbe’s career and her new image
- eastern expansion of sezen aksu
- aksu’s involvement in 2009 with the “peace process” of erdoğan
- legacy of aksu and tilbe
- the peace between aksu and tilbe
bonus episode: “pezevenkler (pimps)”
exploring:
- back in 2009, the “i rescued you from the pimps” moment was the biggest meme in turkey. tilbe was guest of the famous singer “emperor” ibrahim tatlıses show “ibo show”, and by the end of the program he embarrassed her in front of millions of audience by revealing the call for help she made to him back in 1998. this scandal was also the end of the ibo show. the pimps he was mentioning were actually other producers, but this sexist and horrific sentence stuck to many people. i was bothered by this, so i wanted to do a bonus episode on this infamous tv show episode that could be found fully online
- it only took one week to make but due to its entertaining moments and the fame of the event and people, this is one of the most watched episodes of the channel
impact & recognition
- 4 million total views across all episodes - making it my most watched project
- 130 minutes of comprehensive documentary content
- extensive research into urban legends and gossips about the life of two stars
- critical analysis of 1990s turkish pop industry liberalization and celebrity culture
methodology
- investigative journalism: months of research to verify claims about the relationship between the two stars
- historical contextualization: connecting personal stories to broader social and political trends of 1990s turkey
- narrative structure: exploring intimacy, betrayal, and reconciliation through music industry lens
- critical framework: examining lgbtq themes, kurdish identity, and gender dynamics in turkish pop culture
tags: music industry, celebrity culture, 1990s turkey, gender studies, lgbtq, kurdish identity, documentary series