İbrahim Tatlıses

İbrahim Tatlıses (born İbrahim Tatlı in 1952) is a Turkish folk singer and former actor of Arab-Kurdish descent. Since the 1970s he has been one of the best-known and most successful singers of the pop Arabesk style. Tatlıses has recorded 42 albums, including notable albums such as Ayağında Kundura and Selam Olsun and was the host of the highly popular television programme İbo Show. He was also a leading actor that appeared in several dozen films, and also has had many business ventures.

Life Early years İbrahim Tatlı was born in Urfa, Turkey to an Arab father and Kurdish mother inside a cave. His native language is Kurdish and Arabic. He lost his father during childhood and did not attend high school. He did not know how to read or write growing up.

Musical career İbrahim Tatlıses is often regarded as one of the best-known singers of Turkey, being so famous that he has the nicknames "İbo" and "İmparator". He has had a critically acclaimed and illustrious music career in genres such as Turkish folk music and Arabesk, beginning in 1970 at the age of 18 with his first tape Kara Kız/Beni Yakma Gel Güzelim. He sold tapes and sang at weddings/restaurants until a producer discovered him in 1976. The following year his album Ayağında Kundura, featuring songs such as Ayağında Kundura, İndim Gülüm Bağına and Kırmızı Kurdele, was a smash hit and propelled him to fame. Some of his earlier songs have Kurdish origin and were translated into Turkish. From then on, the hit albums came one after another, such as the 1983 album Yalan, the 1985 album Mavi Mavi, and the 1987 album Allah Allah. He has recorded a total of 42 albums from 1970 to 2014. His music also took influence from old Armenian folk songs as the writer for his songs was an Armenian named Garo Mafyan.

Film and television İbrahim Tatlıses has appeared in a total of 37 movies/TV shows, beginning in 1978 with Sabuha. In Turkey, well-known singers star in movies with the same name as the album they recently released, and thus the movies include songs from said albums. This is also seen in the 1975 Ayağında Kundura, its namesake being his smash-hit album. From there he appeared in numerous movies in the 1980s and 1990s, further cementing him as a famous singer and well-known actor in Turkey. Aside from the cinema industry, Tatlıses hosted the İbo Show, which aired from 1993 to 2011. He also founded a record and distribution company called Idobay Music in 2000, and in 2019 he transferred ownership of the company to another person who continues to work in the field of music.

Marriages Tatlıses married his first wife, Adalet Sara, in Urfa. The couple had three children, a son named Ahmet Salim, and two daughters named Gülşen Sara and Gülden Ferrah. In 1979, he began a relationship with his Kara Yazma co-star Perihan Savaş. From his marriage to Savaş, he has a daughter named Melek Zübeyde. Savaş and Tatlıses later got divorced. In 1984, it was reported in the media that claims were made by Savaş that she was beaten for seven hours after being kidnapped by İbrahim Tatlıses, following which she applied to the prosecutor's office and asked for his arrest. Tatlıses said in his interrogation by the police, "Savaş is the mother of my child. To let her wander around would make it feel beneath me." From his relationship with his Günah co-star, Derya Tuna, he has a son, named İbrahim "İdo" Tatlıses.

After returning from Germany, Tatlıses married Ayşegül Yıldız on 27 September 2011 in the rehabilitation facility where he was receiving treatment. Mayor of Şişli Mustafa Sarıgül officiated the marriage service, while Fatih Terim was the witness. Together the couple had a daughter, named Elif Ada. They divorced in November 2013.

From his relationship with Işıl Çıtak, Tatlıses had a daughter named Dilan Çıtak, who was born in 1989. He acknowledged and accepted her as his child in 2013. In 2021, he announced his relationship with Gülçin Karakaya, who is 43 years his junior.

Assassination attempts He was shot in the leg in 1990 and survived an assassination attempt in 1998.

On 14 March 2011, he was attacked and seriously wounded in the head. At 00:30 local time, he and his spokeswoman Buket Çakıcı were shot at by unknown assailants after leaving the offices of the private Turkish channel Beyaz TV following his weekly television show. He was taken to the Acıbadem Hospital in Istanbul for emergency treatment. He was operated on by İlhan Elmacı.He underwent a four-hour operation to have the bullet removed, after which he was in stable condition. He regained consciousness five days later. After a week, the doctors announced that he was recovering well. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited him and also announced that he was recovering well. The police in Turkey arrested around 20 people involved in the attack. On April 7, Tatlıses left Acıbadem Hospital with a police escort and travelled to Atatürk International Airport, where he was boarded the Ministry of Health's Hawker 900XP air ambulance for Germany, to receive intensive rehabilitation at the Murnau Trauma Clinic. He was also criticized for his stance on accepting the Armenian Genocide that took place in 1915 which is why many believe was also the cause for the assassination attempt.

Guardianship In June 2022, Tatlıses's son Ahmet applied to the court to become his father's guardian as he thought his father was not mentally healthy.

Business Tatlıses is involved in the restaurant and tourism businesses, as well as in construction projects with business partner Ali Sarıyıldız in Iraq.

Kurdish issue In the 1980s the Turkish government had banned the use of Kurdish; at a concert in Sweden in December 1986, he had sung folk songs in Kurdish and was thus prosecuted for separatist propaganda, but found not guilty in 1987. The charge was dismissed after he showed regret. In 1988, he was asked by businessman Mehmet Yılmaz at a cultural festival in Uşak to sing a Kurdish folk song, but refused, saying "I am a Kurd, but the laws ban me from singing in Kurdish". For this, he was indicted on September 19, 1988. In 1998 it was reported that Tatlıses offered to be an intermediary between the government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during the armed conflict. He recorded a song with Iranian Kurdish musician Abdollah Alijani Ardeshir.

In 2018, he supported the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin laid out by the Turkish Armed Forces against the mainly-Kurdish militia YPG.

Discography

1970: Kara Kız/Beni Yakma Gel Güzelim 1974: Sevdim de Sevilmedim 1976: Ashab Gecesi 1976: Urfa Emektaroğlu Bant Stüdyosu 1975: Ayağında Kundura 1977: Can Hatice 1977: Huzurum Kalmadı 1978: Doldur Kardeş İçelim 1979: Toprağın Oğlu Sabuha 1980: Bir Mumdur 1980: Ceylan 1981: Gelme İstemem 1981: Gülmemiz Gerek 1982: Yaşamak Bu Değil 1983: Yalan 1984: Benim Hayatım 1985: Mavi Mavi 1986: Gülüm Benim/Gülümse Biraz 1987: Allah Allah/Hülya 1988: Kara Zindan 1988: Fosforlu Cevriyem 1989: İnsanlar 1990: Söylim mi? 1991: Vur Gitsin Beni/Yemin Ettim 1992: Ah Keşkem 1993: Mega Aşk 1994: Haydi Söyle 1995: Klasikleri 1996: Bende İsterem 1996: Türkü Dinle,Söyle,Oyna 1998: At Gitsin 1999: Selam Olsun 2001: Yetmez Mi? 2003: Tek Tek 2004: Aramam 2005: Sizler İçin 2006: İmparator Siler de Geçer 2007: Bulamadım 2008: Neden? 2009: Yağmurla Gelen Kadın 2011: Hani Gelecektin 2014: Tatlıses Klasiği 2018: Yaylalar 2021: Gelmesin 2023: Medine'ye Varamadım 2023: Gözleri Bela Kız 2023: Kara Üzüm Habbesi 2024: Devamke 2025: Megri Megri

Filmography

Actor

1978: Sabuha 1978: Ayağında Kundura 1978: Toprağın Oğlu 1979: Kara Yazma 1979: Kara Çadırın Kızı 1979: Fadile 1980: Çile 1980: Ayrılık Kolay Değil 1981: Seni Yakacaklar 1981: Yaşamak Bu Değil 1981: Tövbe 1982: Yalan 1982: Alişan 1982: Nasıl İsyan Etmem 1983: Yorgun 1983: Günah 1983: Futboliye 1984: Sevdalandım 1984: Ayşem 1985: Mavi Mavi 1985: Sevmek 1985: Yalnızım 1986: Gülümse Biraz 1986: Yıkılmışım Ben 1986: Sarhoş 1987: Gülüm Benim 1987: Allah Allah 1987: Dertli Dertli 1988: Hülya 1988: Aşıksın 1988: Bir Kulum İşte 1988: Kara Zindan 1988: Ben İnsan Değil Miyim 1989: Ceylan 1989: Fosforlu 1992: Aşık Oldum 1993: Tetikçi Kemal 1997: Fırat (mini) TV Series 2003: Hayat Bilgisi (Mini) TV Series 2009: Hicran Yarası

Director 1982: Yalan 1983: Yorgun 1983: Günah 1984: Ayşem 1986: Sarhoş 1986: Gülümse Biraz 1986: Gülüm Benim 1987: Dertli Dertli 1988: Hülya 1988: Aşıksın 1997: Fırat (mini) TV Series 2003: Hayat Bilgisi Konuk Oyuncu TV mini series 2009: Hicran Yarasi 5 Bolum Konuk Oyuncu

Writer 1983: Günah 1998: At Gitsin 1999: Selam Olsun 2001: Yetmez Mi?

Producer 1982: Yalan