Gökçe Kırgız

Gökçe Kırgız — Biography

Gökçe Kırgız was born on 6 April 1989 in Istanbul into a family of Circassian background on her father's side, originally from Çanakkale. After studying International Relations at Beykent University, her growing interest in music led her to pursue a master's degree in Turkish Music at Haliç University's Conservatory, where her thesis examined copyright in Turkey's digital music scene.

At just seventeen, a song she had recorded herself, Kalbime Gömerim O Zaman, spread widely online after she shared it with friends over MSN Messenger; once composer Emre Altınel added music to it and it reached a studio release, the track was named the second most-streamed digital work at the 2007 MÜYAP Music Awards. She turned down the record deals that followed, stayed out of the spotlight for years, then returned to music in 2020 by posting covers on Instagram and later releasing songs including İkimizin Arasında and Adını Anmam.

Also known as Gökçe Kırgız Taner after her 2016 marriage to Berk Durukan, she spent years in a legal battle with another performer, Merve Doğan, over the right to use the stage name Gökçe Kırgız - a dispute that ended in her favour in January 2024, giving her sole use of the name.