Top Turkic musical group to begin tour of Türkiye

By Bugrahan Ayhan

ANKARA (AA) – One of the premier bands in the Turkic world is poised to start its tour of Türkiye, marking both the centenary of the Turkish Republic and the music group’s 15th anniversary.

The tour of the Turan Ethno Folk Ensemble is set to hit eight different Turkish provinces, including Sivas, Kayseri, Konya, Mersin, Denizli, Istanbul, Eskisehir, and Trabzon.

“One of the other aims of this tour is to help those who lost their relatives in the Feb. 6 earthquakes,” Maksat Medeubek, a member of the group, told Anadolu, referring to quakes in southern Türkiye that took over 50,000 lives.

“All concert tickets will be free, except for the Eskisehir concert. All revenues from the Eskisehir concert will be donated to quake victims,” he added.

The band, also known as Er Turan, has given over 700 concerts in nearly 70 countries, winning hearts and acclaim from audiences worldwide, especially across the Turkic world.

The Kazakh band mixes ethnic and symphonic elements, performing both old and new songs accompanied by traditional Turkic musical instruments, introducing the culture of the Turkic world wherever they go.

Medeubek said that they see it as their duty to evoke national sentiments, especially in Türkiye and other Turkic states, embarking on this path for this purpose.

Medeubek added that after their Türkiye tour, they will be performing concerts in several cities across Europe.

They got a positive response in their previous concerts in Europe, he said, with both their traditional attire and instruments sparking curiosity about the Turkic world, with audiences applauding enthusiastically.

During their Türkiye tour, they have added a surprise song to their repertoire, said Medeubek.

In honor of 2023 being UNESCO’s year of legendary Turkish singer and composer Asik Veysel, they will be performing his masterpiece Uzun Ince Bir Yoldayim (I’m on a Path, Long and Narrow), a 1973 song by the late bard.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul