Turkish singer refuses to sell her song to company with close links to gov't

Turkish singer Yasemin Göksü has said she refused a request for the use of one of her songs by a company that will prepare a video for pro-government Limak Holding. Göksü said she wouldn’t even want a penny from them.

Tuesday March 15 2022 12:49 pm

Duvar English

Turkish singer Yasemin Göksü has said she refused a request by a company to use one of her songs for a promotional video for Limak Holding, a company with close links to the government.

The company wanted to use her song “Mendilimin Yeşili” (Green in my handkerchief) for a video to mark Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Day.

“A company that will prepare a March 18 Çanakkale Victory video for Limak Holding said that they want to use my ‘Mendilimin Yeşili’ folk song. I thought I had a nail stuck in my backbone. If I ever earn a penny from them, it will be dirty money for me. I'd much rather stay hungry!” Göksü tweeted on March 14.

Limak Holding için 18 Mart Çanakkale Zaferi videosu hazırlayacak olan bir şirket,Urumeli Hatırası albümündeki "Mendilimin Yeşili" türküsünü bedeli karşısında kullanmak istediğini söyledi. Bel kemiğime çivi battı sandım. Bir kuruşları geçerse haram olsun bana. Aç kalırım daha iyi!
— Yasemin Göksu (Official) (@yasgoksu) March 14, 2022

“In fact, I was going to share the song in honor of doctors today for Medicine Day. But when the tweet I wrote became viral, I didn't share it so that it would not be thought that I was advertising,” Göksü later tweeted.

Limak is one out of the five of the construction companies that are regarded as Erdoğan’s oligarchs.

Turkey’s private-public partnership (PPP) model has been used to fund megaprojects that includes bridges, ports, roads and airports.

The Turkish government has been accused of favorably handing out tenders to these five companies close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) through this system.

The PPP model allows private companies granted tender on the projects to make an initial investment and construct the infrastructure, after which they are granted the license to operate it for periods often reaching decades.

They are also granted tax incentives and exemptions.