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Turkish popstar Tarkan (born Tarkan Tevetoğlu on October 17, 1972 in Alzey, Germany) is one of the most successful Arabesque-pop music singers in Turkey. His albums regularly sell millions of copies. Tarkan press photo for the release of his 2003 Dudu (album)He is also known in Europe and the Americas, especially for the song Şımarık (Spoilt/Kiss Kiss/Chanson Du Bisou/Besos). This was reincarnated as Kiss Kiss by Holly Valance after Sezen Aksu sold the music rights. This song is also rumoured to have ended the successful working relationship between Tarkan and Aksu as they fell into dispute about the ownership of the copyright to Şımarık. *** *** They had collaborated on most of Tarkan's hits in Turkey and Europe. Another hit single was Şıkıdım (Shake). Tarkan is also character of a popular Turkish comic series in 1960s. This is where Tarkan's parents adopted his name from. Tarkan spent his childhood in Germany, his father was part of the generation of Turkish immigrants which came to West Germany during the West German economic boom, until suddenly he decided to move his family back to Turkey in 1986 when Tarkan was 14 years old. Tarkan pictured during the Ölürüm Sana periodTarkan began to study music in Karamürsel. His road to fame began when he moved to Istanbul to prepare for University entrance exams in 1990. He had a difficult time in Istanbul and decided to move back to Germany. It was while he was preparing for the move back that he met Mehmet Sögütoğlu, the chairman of Istanbul Plak. Istanbul Plak was Tarkan's first record label, his record label is now his own music company Hitt Music, which he established in 1997. His debut album Yine Sensiz (Without You Again) sold 700,000 copies. His second album A-Acayipsin (Oh - You're Something Else) sold more than 2,000,000 copies in Turkey and 750,000 copies in Europe. This was a first-time-ever feat for a Turkish performer. Suddenly Tarkan had became a star overnight. Tarkan subsequently moved to New York in 1994 to escape the hordes of adoring fans that constantly stalked him and to complete his education at a college in the USA. While Tarkan spent time in the USA learning English, he met Ahmet Ertegün (the Turkish founder of Atlantic Records). Ertegün has been quietly grooming Tarkan for an American career ever since. His English language album is due to be released in October 2005 but under a Universal Germany ticket, as Tarkan has re-started the album several times. In July 1997, the hit single Şımarık was released in Turkey, along with the album Ölürüm Sana (I'd Die For You). This album took a total of three years to complete. Tarkan collaborated with Sezen Aksu and Ozan Çolakoglu for the album. He thanked them for this during his speech which he delivered after winning the Turkish TV Kral music award for his song Şımarık. At home, Ölürüm Sana sold 3.5 million copies alone. When the album's single Şımarık was released in 1999 in Europe, it reached No. 3 in places like Switzerland, France, Germany, and No.1 in Belgium and went platinum. He was awarded with his platinum disc at the Cannes Midem Awards. Following that he released a compliation album for Europe entitled Tarkan. He won a World Music Award in Monaco in the same year for the sales of that album. Tarkan released two more singles in Europe under the Universal ticket, Sikidim and Bu Gece (Tonight). Tarkan traveled to Europe and Latin America to promote his music. He gave many international concerts during this period, 18 concerts in 17 cities in total. In 2000 the self-titled album was released in the USA with a Universal Latino ticket. In 2001 Tarkan released his first-ever single in Turkey called Kuzu Kuzu (Like A Lamb). Tarkan's following albums Karma in 2001 and his latest Turkish-language album Dudu (Woman), released in the summer of 2003 through Hitt Music, cemented his popularity in his parents' homeland. He has been the face of Pepsi in Turkey and was the official mascot of the Turkish national football team for the 2002 World Cup, recording the football song Bir Oluruz Yolunda (United For You) which became an anthem for the fans. He also released his own perfume range entitled "Tarkan" at the start of 2004. Tarkan had some setbacks during his career. In 1994, Tarkan appeared on a live broadcast for a private Turkish TV channel ATV's anniversary celebrations and was interviewed by a reporter. His response when asked how he was, captured live on camera, was "Çişim var, ağabey..." ('I've gotta pee, man...'). Also, while Tarkan was at the height of his fame, he was called up for military service, which he had suspended for a certain length of time while he studied in New York. The deadline for commencement ended in 1998, but due to contractual obligations, he did not return to Turkey to do his military service. The media discussed whether Tarkan should be viewed as a deserter and stripped of his citizenship, but this never happened. After the August 1999 earthquake that shook Turkey, the 28 day military service was passed, which allowed for a very short term of service provided that those covered by the law paid $16,000 for the benefit of the earthquake victims. Tarkan returned to Turkey in 2000 and took advantage of this law, completing his service in 28 days.

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