Thread by @DIAS

This is a mega-tweet PACKED full of Greek 🇬🇷 / Turkish 🇹🇷 shared songs

Outsiders (many Greeks and Turks too) aren’t actually aware of how intertwined our music is

Dating back to hundreds of years ago, we have consistently borrowed and collaborated right up to the present moment

But how?

How is it possible that 2 different people with 2 different languages, 2 different religions and multiple wars can ignore all of that when it comes to the cultural exchange of music?

The answer is, cohabitation. Anatolia has been home to Greeks and Turks for 1000 years

Cultural exchange has been happening for so long in this time that it’s impossible to say when it began. However it seems pretty obvious that different cultures living in the same land will eventually engage in cultural exchange. Latin America is a good example of this.

No place embodied Greek and Turkish cultural exchange better than Smyrna. Free of the formalities of its cousin Constantinople, Smyrna was a more relaxed version of the city.

This is where (according to most sources) modern Greek and Turkish music cross pollinated the most

When the Asia Minor Greek refugees had to leave Smyrna and live in mainland Greece, they brought with them old folk songs that used to be sung in Greek and Turkish.

This music was primarily frowned upon in Greece until eventually it became part of the musical fabric of Greece

Music from Smyrna contained many cultural influences such as Romani, Arab, Jewish, Italian, Greek and of course Turkish. The music reflected the land it came from, it was a melting pot of influences

Expression “Aman Aman” and “yalla” were often used

The impact of music from Smyrna (Smyrneika) is still being felt in Greece and Turkey. Greek and Turkish artists continue to sing these shared old songs from then until now.

Just like Baklava, the origins of many of these folk songs are unclear. No one really cares though

Now finally I can share with you just some of the songs that belong to both Greeks and Turks as a collective.

Some are timeless classics and some are terrible pop music. Either way our shared musical heritage can not be ignored.

I couldn’t have done it without @AlexiouJunior ❤️

pencereden ay doğdu 🇹🇷
exo ntertia kai kaimoi 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Haris Alexiou - teli teli 🇬🇷 (original)
Yeni Türkü - telli telli 🇹🇷

Oklavıyam Pazıyam - İbrahim Tatlıses 🇹🇷 (Original)

Glika, Glika, Glikia Mou - Efi Thodi 🇬🇷

Aşkın Nur Yengi - susma 🇹🇷
Haris Alexiou - tora ki ego tha ziso 🇬🇷 (original)

Kadifeden kesesi 🇹🇷
tsahpin 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Usakli Kiz 🇹🇷 (original)
Giota Lydia - Mia Melaxrini 🇬🇷

Tarkan - Şımarık 🇹🇷 (original)
Lefteris Pantazis - Filakia 🇬🇷

Hahah everyone knows this classic 😭

Stelios Kazantzidis and Marinella - Mi Mou Lete Ya Afti 🇬🇷 (original)

Ülkü Aker - Yüzünde De 🇹🇷

Dimitra Galani - Maria Me Ta Kitrina 🇬🇷 (original)
Ayla Algan - Komşunun Oğlu 🇹🇷

telgrafın telleri 🇹🇷
aeroplano tha paro 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Müslüm Gürses/Asya - olmadı yar 🇹🇷
Anna Vissi - to apolyto keno 🇨🇾 (original)

kalenin bedenleri 🇹🇷
siko horepse koukli mou 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Entarisi ala benziyor 🇹🇷
Dimitroula mou 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

darıldın mı gülüm bana 🇹🇷
Hariklaki 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Tarkan - Kimdi 🇹🇷
Ti Ti - Giorgos Alkaios 🇬🇷

(Original 🇩🇿)

Ferdi Tayfur - tövbekâr 🇹🇷 (original)
Manolis Aggelopoulos - Anatolitisia 🇬🇷

bülbülüm 🇹🇷
kanarini mou gliko 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Konyalı 🇹🇷
Konialis 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Various Greek artists - Ligo Ligo tha me Sinithisis 🇬🇷

Semiramis Pekkan - Olmaz Olmaz Bu İş Olamaz 🇹🇷

(original 🇮🇳)

Maria Soultatou - apo xeno topo 🇬🇷
Safiye Ayla - Kâtibim 🇹🇷

(The original is from Asia Minor but no one knows if it was Turkish or Greek. It is a shared song)

Antique - Dinata Dinata 🇬🇷 (Original*)
Sezen Aksu - Sarışınım 🇹🇷

*original instrumental is 🇦🇲 but Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki put lyrics to it first

Serdar Ortaç - beni unut 🇹🇷
Sotis Volanis - poso mou leipei 🇬🇷 (original)

Stelios Kazantzidis - Alim 🇹🇷

Stelios Kazantzidis - Exo Dertia Ke Kaimi 🇬🇷

Same artist, same song, different versions

Marika Ninou - Ximeroni Ke Vradiazi 🇬🇷 (original)
Semiramis Pekkan - Bir Gün Elime Düşersin 🇹🇷

Adanalı 🇹🇷
Antanali 🇬🇷

The original is possibly Turkish

Yeni Türkü - olmasa mektubun* 🇹🇷
Haris Alexiou - ola se thimizoun 🇬🇷 (original)

*performed by Müslüm Gürses

Smyrneiki Estoudiadina - Ehtes to Vradi (Tha Spaso Koupes) 🇬🇷

Ovanes Efendi - Tsiftetelia 🇹🇷 🇦🇲 (an Armenian who sang in Turkish)

sallasana mendilini 🇹🇷
sala sala 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Roza Eskenazi - Rampi Rampi 🇹🇷 🇬🇷 (Greek singing in Turkish)

Duo Stambul - Ti' Fotia Pou 'Hees Anapsi 🇬🇷

It’s unknown who created the song

Giota Lydia - Fige fige 🇬🇷 (original)
Candan Erçetin - Çapkın 🇹🇷

Sezen Aksu - güllerim soldu 🇹🇷 (original)
Elina Konstantopoulou - kourasmeni poli 🇬🇷

İbrahim Tatlıses - mavi mavi 🇹🇷 (original)
Makis Hristodoulopoulos - ftanei na m' agapas 🇬🇷

Aşkın Nur Yengi - ayrılmam 🇹🇷
Pitsa Papadopoulou - mi milas 🇬🇷 (original)

Giorgos Mazonakis - Foveri 🇬🇷 (original)
Rober Hatemo - Senden Çok Var 🇹🇷

Ouzaki, Ouzaki, Marlboro Tsigaraki- Christos Drakoulis 🇬🇷 (original)
Demir - Mastika 🇹🇷

Glykeria - O Feretzes 🇬🇷
Mehtap Demir - Seni Gördükçe Titriyor Yüreğim 🇹🇷

(original version is disputed)

Anestis Delias - Mes Stis Polis To Hamam 🇬🇷 (original)
Nermin Gökben - Diridah dar 🇹🇷

Antzela Dimitriou - as me lene treli 🇬🇷 (original)
Demet Sağıroğlu - aşk perisi 🇹🇷

gel gel kayıkçı 🇹🇷
kaixis 🇬🇷

Shared Greek / Turkish folk song unknown who created it first

Haris Alexiou - Ela Stin Parea Mou Fandare 🇬🇷 (original)
Aşkın Nur Yengi - Kanım Akmaz 🇹🇷

Mimis Papaioanou - Me' Sti' Fotia Mou 🇬🇷 (original)
Neşe Karaböcek - Atsan Atılmaz Satsan Satılmaz 🇹🇷

Theodotos (Tetos) Demetriades - Misirlou 🇬🇷 (original*)
Zeki Muren - Yaralı Gönlüm 🇹🇷

*it’s the original recorded version. There is still a dispute about who created the song before it was recorded.

Zerrin Özer - Sayma 🇹🇷 (original)
Keti Garbi - Fimes 🇬🇷

Emrah - Sevdim 🇹🇷 (original)
Lefteris Pantazis - M' Agapas? S' Agapo 🇬🇷

Elli Kokkinou - Masai 🇬🇷 (Original)

Ayça Tekintor - Yıkılıyo 🇹🇷

Despina Vandi - Deste Mou Ta Matia 🇬🇷 (original)
Asuman Krause - Aşkı Bana Sakla 🇹🇷

Belkis Özener - sevemedim kara gözlüm 🇹🇷
Manolis Aggelopoulos - s' anazito 🇬🇷 (original)

Sezen Aksu - ne kavgam bitti, ne sevdam 🇹🇷 (original)
Vasilis Terlenkas - eho mathei na petao 🇬🇷

Manos Papadakis - Mia Dekara Den Axizi I Agapi Sou 🇬🇷

Semiramis Pekkan - Ne Geçti Elime 🇹🇷

Both were released same year in 1969 but no one knows which was released first.

Safiye Ayla - Muhabbet Bağına Girdim Bu Gece 🇹🇷 (Original)
Ayazin, by Stratos Dionisiou 🇬🇷

İbrahim Tatlıses - gülüm benim 🇹🇷 (original)
Zafeiris Mellas/Antique - girna xana 🇬🇷

Aşkın Açamadığı Kapı - Demet Akalın 🇹🇷 (Original)

I Agapi Sou De Meni Pia Edo - Elena Paparizou 🇬🇷

Emel Müftüoğlu - Faka Bastın 🇹🇷 (Original)
Keti Garbi - Derti 🇬🇷

Barış Manço - Işte Hendek İşte Deve 🇹🇷 (original)
Keti Garbi - I Agapi Kiklous Kani 🇬🇷

Tarkan - Dudu 🇹🇷 (original)
Peggy Zina - Den Axizis 🇬🇷

Murat Boz - özledim 🇹🇷 (original)
Giorgos Mazonakis - ela na deis 🇬🇷

Manolis Aggelopoulos - Ta Mavra Matia Sou 🇬🇷 (original)
Nilüfer - Ta Uzak Yollardan 🇹🇷

Ignore this one. There was a mix up. Easy to happen when dealing with so many songs lol

Thought I would throw in an Azerbaijani one because why not

Elder Mansurov and Brilliant Dadasova 🇦🇿 (Original)
Kaiti Garbi - Esena Mono 🇬🇷