Metin Şentürk (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Metin Şentürk stands out as a versatile figure in the wide spectrum of Turkish music, following his own path by moving within the boundaries of Pop, Fantasy, and Turkish Art Music. The artist, who stepped into the professional music world with his album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" in 1987, adopted his education at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory as an important foundation strengthening his musical background. Beyond stage performances, Şentürk has also touched film enthusiasts by taking roles in productions such as "Kahpe Bizans" and "Recep İvedik 3", becoming a powerful voice in the social sphere beyond his music.
Known also as an active defender of disability rights and human dignity, Şentürk earned his place among visually impaired drivers by breaking the speed record of 303.62 km/h with a Ferrari F430, securing his name in the Guinness World Records Book. Remembered by a wide audience with renowned works such as "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", "Allah Biliyor", and "Yaptın Beni", the artist has continued to push the boundaries of both music and social responsibility throughout his career extending to 2026. Şentürk, who leaves a unique legacy in the culture and art world with programs he hosted on TRT Müzik and activism work worldwide, portrays an artist profile that reaches different segments with musical productions in different genres.
Biography
Metin Şentürk is a versatile artist, musician, and social activist born on May 16, 1966, in Istanbul. Losing his sight at the age of three due to a home accident very early in his life, Şentürk embraced music both as a form of expression and as a tool for social existence. The artist continued his education at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory to support his musical talent with an academic background, successfully completing his education between 1987-1988.
Şentürk, who began his professional music career with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" in 1987, reached a wide audience by producing works in various genres such as Pop, Fantasy, Turkish Art Music, Arabesque, and Classical Turkish Music. The artist's discography includes an intense period extending from 1987 to 2017, solidifying his place in the music market with albums such as "Allah Biliyor", "Yaktın Beni", "Sana Aitim", "Son Nokta", "Dünya Güzeli", "Hazinem", "Masal", "Bana Sen Lazımsın", "Kelebek", and "Tek Yürek". In particular, songs such as "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", "Sitem", "Bırakma Beni", and "Masal" are listed among the artist's most recognized pieces.
Şentürk has also been active in the screen world beyond the music stage. The artist, who took a step into cinema with the film "Kahpe Bizans" in 2000, met with viewers as an actor in the film "Recep İvedik 3" in 2010. With the program "Metin Şentürk ile Gönülden Gönüle" hosted on TRT Müzik, the artist, who directly touched music lovers, reinforced the social bonds of music on this platform.
Another dimension of his career that draws attention is his achievements and social responsibility works. On April 2, 2010, at the Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, Şentürk reached a speed of 303.62 km/h with a Ferrari F430, breaking the record for the world's fastest visually impaired driver and registering this achievement as a Guinness Record. This success not only created awareness regarding the participation of disabled people in social life but also symbolized the artist's courage to transcend physical limits. Şentürk, who is the founder of the World Disabled Foundation and the World Disabled Federation based in Istanbul, made his voice heard on an international platform by advocating for disability rights at the United Nations in 2026.
The artist, who showed that he did not end his musical productivity by releasing the single "Haberim Yok" in 2026, also revealed his importance for social and political issues by showing a video response to the "Defending Secularism Together" manifesto with 168 signatures in the same year. Metin Şentürk, who married Fulya Kalkavan in 2006, has realized collaborations with names such as Elif Kaya, Nejat Alp, Ayhan Aşan, Sinan Özen, and Orhan Gencebay. As of 2026, continuing his life and actively continuing his works, the artist is a significant figure in Turkish music history in terms of both voice and social responsibility.
Style and Musical Identity
Metin Şentürk's musical stance presents a versatile structure that gathers various movements of Turkish popular music under a single roof. The artist, who began his professional career with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" released in 1987, has realized productions in different genres such as Pop, Fantasy, Arabesque, Turkish Art Music, and Classical Turkish Music during this period. The education he received from the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory is an important indicator showing that the artist has technical discipline in his approach to Classical Turkish Music and Turkish Art Music works included in his repertoire. Although there are no specific descriptions regarding voice tone in the sources, conservatory graduation and a multi-genre performance portfolio indicate that his interpretation is based on a technical background.
When examining the content of his repertoire, it is seen that themes of love, longing, complaint, and fate are central in his emotional world. Titles such as "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", "Yaktın Beni", "Sitem", and "Bırakma Beni" form the musical expression of pain and longing feelings in relational dynamics; while it is observed that the song "Allah Biliyor" also touches on delicate and divine subjects. The album "Metin Şentürk İle Türk Sanat Müziği" released in 2009 stands out as a concrete proof of the importance he places on traditional structure alongside his understanding of popular music. The artist's musical identity carries a continuity that maintained its relevance with the single "Haberim Yok" released in 2026.
The breadth of his musical network is clarified with the collaborations he has realized with names from different generations and styles such as Orhan Gencebay, Sinan Özen, Nejat Alp, Ayhan Aşan, and Elif Kaya. The duet in the song "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı" with Elif Kaya is one of the works that maintains its place among transformative collaborations. His general musical personality, bringing together this diversity and technical education, has earned a unique place at the intersection of popular and traditional Turkish music. Metin Şentürk's style summary can be read as a polyphony shaped by repertoire in a wide range, the pursuit of technical musicality, and word choices processing emotional themes.
Songs and Discography
Metin Şentürk's musical journey gained a professional identity with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" he released in 1987. The song "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı" stands out as one of the prominent works in the artist's career, who produces works in a wide spectrum of Pop, Fantasy, Turkish Art Music, and Arabesque genres. This work reached a wider audience thanks to the duet work done with Elif Kaya. The albums "Allah Biliyor" (1992) and "Yaktın Beni" (1993), released at the beginning of the 1990s, contain the most notable records of this period.
Also, names such as "Sana Aitim" (1995), "Sitem", and "Bırakma Beni" are important works that have left their mark in the listener's memory. When it comes to the 2000s, the album "Masal" (2006) and the 2009 release "Metin Şentürk İle Türk Sanat Müziği" displayed the artist's different musical sides. Advancing his discography with albums such as "Son Nokta", "Dünya Güzeli", "Hazinem", and "Yolun Yarısı", the artist continued his productivity in the 2010s with "Kelebek" (2015) and "Tek Yürek" (2017) works. The single "Haberim Yok" released in 2026 indicates that the artist was still presenting new works at this time.
While it is observed in sources that the first album release is mostly stated as 1987, it is seen that some digital platforms highlight the 1992 released "Allah Biliyor" album. Despite such date differences, the career start is referenced as 1987, and the artist's musical legacy is read through the specified albums and single works.
A Many-Faced Figure in Turkish Music: Metin Şentürk
Metin Şentürk has maintained his place as a versatile voice challenging genre boundaries in the Turkish music scene since he began his professional music career with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" in 1987. The artist, known by large masses with works such as "Yaktın Beni", "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", and "Allah Biliyor" in the 1990s Fantasy and Pop wave, positions his musical identity not only with popularity but also with the technical background he received from the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory. Going beyond Turkish Art Music, Classical Turkish Music, and Arabesque genres and establishing syntheses with Pop and Fantasy made him one of the prominent figures of his time.
The artist's career has a wide cultural impact area extending beyond discographic production to cinema and civil society. Taking roles as an actor in productions such as "Kahpe Bizans" in 2000 and "Recep İvedik 3" in 2010, he moved his popularity to non-music areas. Despite having lost his sight as a result of a home accident at the age of 3, breaking the record of the world's fastest visually impaired driver with a Ferrari F430 at the Şanlıurfa GAP Airport in 2010 certified his story of resilience and success. This success brought him to a social sensitivity area enough to advocate for disability rights at the United Nations in 2026, blending his artist profile with his activist identity.
Releasing the single "Haberim Yok" in 2026 and addressing the public through the "Defending Secularism Together" manifesto indicate that his career is still actively proceeding at this date. Along with well-known achievements such as the Golden Lale Award and Guinness Record, he has made his mark in social memory with the program "Metin Şentürk ile Gönülden Gönüle" hosted on TRT Müzik and the Istanbul-based World Disabled Foundation he founded. This journey extending from 1987 to 2026 has left a unique legacy notable for its role in the development of disability rights and civil society consciousness, as well as the pop and art music movements of Turkish music history.
Legacy
Metin Şentürk's musical legacy is shaped by the versatile production he continued in the fields of pop, fantasy, and Turkish Art Music in his professional journey starting with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" in 1987. As one of the prominent names of the 1990s fantasy wave, tracks such as "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", "Yaktın Beni", and "Allah Biliyor" have left their mark in the memory of a wide audience. Being an ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory graduate, the artist has earned a unique position in the Turkish music community by blending his technical musicality with classical and art music roots and pop renditions.
Şentürk's cultural impact area extends beyond the music market to social and societal transformations. It is further reinforced by his continuation of music with visual impairment after a home accident at the age of 3, the Guinness World Record he broke with a Ferrari F430 in 2010, and his advocacy for disability rights at the United Nations. The artist, who participated in projects such as "Kahpe Bizans" and "Recep İvedik 3" in the cinema world, has created a social sensitivity-oriented image through his program hosting at TRT Müzik and the founding of the World Disabled Foundation. The single "Haberim Yok" released in 2026 and his reaction regarding the "Defending Secularism Together" manifesto emphasize that the artist is an active social actor even in the later years of his career. In this context, Metin Şentürk is known not only as a vocal artist but also as a culture figure who made his voice heard on human rights and disability issues with the legacy he left.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and with which album did Metin Şentürk start his music career? The artist took a step into his professional music career with the album "Elimdeki Fotoğrafın" in 1987. He completed his education at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory between 1987-1988.
In which music genres does the artist produce works? Metin Şentürk realizes productions in a wide range such as Pop, Fantasy, Turkish Art Music, Arabesque, and Classical Turkish Music.
What are his most famous songs? Tracks such as "Sensizlik Kalbe Zararlı", "Allah Biliyor", "Yaktın Beni", "Sitem", "Bırakma Beni", and "Masal" are among the artist's best-known works.
As a visually impaired driver, which record did he break? On April 2, 2010, he reached a speed of 303.62 km/h with a Ferrari F430 at the Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, breaking the world's fastest visually impaired driver record and registered this achievement as a Guinness Record.
Is there an inconsistency in the sources regarding album release dates in his discography? While it is observed in sources that the first album release is mostly stated as 1987, it is seen that some digital platforms highlight the 1992 released "Allah Biliyor" album. Therefore, the career start is referenced as 1987.
What musical and social works did the artist realize in 2026? In 2026, the artist released the single "Haberim Yok", showed a video response to the 168-signature "Defending Secularism Together" manifesto in the same year, and advocated for disability rights at the United Nations.