Mehmet Erdem

Mehmet Erdem — Biography

Mehmet Erdem was born on 31 December 1978 in Manisa, to a family originally from Arapgir in Malatya; he attended İzmir Science High School and graduated from Boğaziçi University with a degree in mechanical engineering. Encouraged by his clarinet-playing father and bağlama-playing uncle, he started on mandolin at five before learning bağlama and cümbüş, and played in bands as a high-schooler. He moved to Istanbul for university in 1997 and began his professional career in 1999 after joining the group Kardeş Türküler, working as a session musician on other artists' albums. He also composed music for films and series, winning the Golden Orange award for best original score in 2009 for Deli Deli Olma, and made guest appearances in series such as Leyla ile Mecnun, Kuzey Güney and Behzat Ç. He became known for the title track of his 2012 album Herkes Aynı Hayatta, followed by Hiç Konuşmadan, Hepsi Benim Yüzünden, Neden Böyleyiz and bir şarkı vardı ya. In October 2015 he was given a suspended ten-month sentence for drug use and acquitted of the separate charge of organizing a drug ring. He is married to actress Vildan Atasever, with whom he had a son, Ali Kemal, in January 2026; that same year he lost his father, Sücaattin Erdem, and continued to perform in concerts.