Kenan Doğulu

Kenan Doğulu — Biography

Born Kenan Cihan Doğulu on 31 May 1974 in Istanbul's Cihangir neighborhood, he was the middle child of musician Yurdaer Doğulu and Serpil Doğulu, a family originally from Gaziantep; his older brother Ozan Doğulu is also a musician, and his sister Canan Doğulu is a fashion designer. He entered the piano program at a conservatory at age five, placing first, studied piano for six years, added flute and guitar lessons along with theatre and choir training, and later studied in the United States at Hesser College and the Musicians Institute before continuing at Istanbul Bilgi University.

He began his recording career with the 1993 album Yaparım Bilirsin and has since released more than fourteen studio albums; his 2006 album Festival, featuring the hit "Çakkıdı" recorded with Sezen Aksu, sold 285,000 copies and became one of the year's best-sellers. In 2007 he represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, finishing fourth with 163 points. He has recorded duets with artists such as Ajda Pekkan and Manga's Ferman Akgül, lent his voice to two animated films, and served on Galatasaray Sports Club's general assembly.

After a relationship that began in 2012, he married actress Beren Saat in 2014. In June 2026, Turkey's Forensic Medicine Institute reported that a drug test on Doğulu had come back positive, as part of a wider investigation into several celebrities. He continues to perform each summer at open-air theatres and seaside concert venues.