Renown singer of Rumelian folk songs passes away

81-year-old Arif Şentürk, known for his Rumelian folk songs, passed away.

Arif Şentürk was taken to the intensive care unit in the hospital where he was taken on Sunday due to his worsening health condition.

The famous Turkish singer was a guest on a television program last month and sang his favorite songs.

WHO IS ARİF ŞENTÜRK?

Arif Şentürk, who was born in the town of Kumanova, Macedonia in 1941, immigrated to Turkey with his family in 1956 after completing his primary and secondary education in a Turkish school located here.

The family first settled in Kırklareli, then moved to the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul. Şentürk, who studied music at Bakırköy and Yeşilköy Community Center Music School, was successful in the TRT Amateur Voices Exam in 1975 and was supported by Nida Tüfekçi.

Arif Şentürk, who has recorded a total of 12 albums throughout his musical life, won acclaim especially with Rumelian folk songs such as Deryalar, Ramize and Safiye compiled from regions such as Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece.