State Artist ( tr, Devlet Sanatçısı, also sometimes translated as "National Artist") is an honorary title granted to prominent

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...

s by the government of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

for their contributions to the

Turkish culture The culture of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Kültürü) combines a heavily diverse and heterogeneous set of elements that have been derived from the various cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Caucasia, Middle East and Central Asia t ...

. It was established in 1971 by the

President of Turkey The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national governm ...

(

Cevdet Sunay Cevdet Sunay (; 10 February 1899 – 22 May 1982) was a Turkish politician and army officer, who served as the fifth President of Turkey from 1966 to 1973. Early life and career Sunay was born in 1899 in Trabzon, in the Ottoman Empire. Af ...

) and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. The award is issued for people occupied in various categories of arts: music, dance, theatre, photography, cinema, visual arts, literature, etc.

List of State Artists

By year, according to the list by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey.State Artists
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501204122/http://www.discoverturkey.com/haberler/haberler-sanatcilar.html , date=2008-05-01

1971

* Adnan Saygun, composer *

Necil Kazım Akses Necil Kazım Akses (May 6, 1908 – February 16, 1999) was a Turkish classical composer. Life Akses studied music and composition at the Musikakademie in Vienna with Joseph Marx and at the Prague Conservatory in Prague with Josef Suk and ...

, composer *

Ulvi Cemal Erkin Ulvi Cemal Erkin () (March 14, 1906 – September 15, 1972) was a member of the pioneer group of symphonic composers in Turkey, born in the period 1904–1910, who later came to be called The Turkish Five. These composers set out the direction ...

, composer * Mithat Fenmen, composer *

İlhan Usmanbaş İlhan Usmanbaş (born 23 October 1921) is a Turkish contemporary classical composer. Born in Istanbul, Usmanbaş grew up in Ayvalık. When he was twelve years old, his elder brother gave him a cello, and İlhan began to teach himself to play. A ...

, composer * Gülay Uğurata, pianist *

İdil Biret İdil Biret (born 21 November 1941) is a Turkish concert pianist. Education Biret began her lessons at the age of five with , who had studied under Nadia Boulanger and Alfred Cortot. When she was seven, the Turkish parliament enacted a specia ...

, pianist *

Suna Kan Suna may refer to: People * Suuna I of Buganda, king of Buganda until 1609 * Suna II of Buganda, king of Buganda from 1836 until 1856 * Suna Kan (born 1936), Turkish violinist of classical music * Suna Kıraç (1941–2020), member of the Turkish ...

, violinist *

Ayla Erduran Ayla Erduran (born 22 September 1934, Istanbul) is a Turkish violinist. A student of Karl Berger she performed her first recital when she was 10 years old. She then went on to study at the Paris International Conservatory from 1946 to 1951 unde ...

, violinist * Ayşegül Sarıca, pianist *

Verda Erman Verda Erman (19 December 1944 – 21 July 2014) was a Turkish pianist. Born in Istanbul in 1944, she began her career at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. In 1957, she was sent to study at the Conservatoire de Paris under Turkish law no. ...

, pianist

1981

* Nevid Kodallı, composer *

Cemal Reşit Rey Cemal Reşit Rey (; 25 October 1904 – 7 October 1985) was a Turkish composer, pianist, script writer and conductor. He was well known for a string of successful and popular Turkish-language operettas for which his brother Ekrem Reşit Rey (190 ...

, composer * Hikmet Şimşek, conductor *

Gürer Aykal Gürer Aykal (born May 22, 1942) is a Turkish conductor and adjunct professor at Bilkent University. He has been the musical director and principal conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra since 1999. Education Aykal was born in E ...

, conductor * İsmail Aşan, violinist * Tunç Ünver, violinist * Cüneyt Gökçer, actor * Yıldız Kenter, actress * Meriç Sümen, ballet dancer *

Suna Korad Suna may refer to: People *Suuna I of Buganda, king of Buganda until 1609 * Suna II of Buganda, king of Buganda from 1836 until 1856 *Suna Kan Suna may refer to: People * Suuna I of Buganda, king of Buganda until 1609 * Suna II of Buganda, king ...

, opera singer

1987

* Nevzat Atlığ, choir conductor * Ayhan Baran, opera singer * Vasfi Rıza Zobu, actor *

Bedia Muvahhit Bedia Muvahhit (born Emine Bedia Şekip; 1896 – 20 January 1994) was a Turkish stage and movie actress. She is remembered as one of the first Muslim movie actresses in Turkey debuting in 1923. Personal life She was born in 1896 to Şekip Bey, ...

, actress * Mükerrem Berk, flutist * Gülsin Onay, pianist *

Ayten Gökçer Ayten or Aytən is a Turkish given name for females. People named Ayten include: * Ayten Akyol, Turkish beauty queen * Ayten Alpman (1929–2012), Turkish singer *Ayten Amer (born 1981), Egyptian actress *Ayten Amin (born 1978), Egyptian film dire ...

, actress

1988

Aydın Gün Aydın Gün; (1917, Adana - November 30, 2007, Berlin), was a Turkish opera singer, stage director, founder and intendant of Istanbul Opera House. He was a pioneering figure in the Turkish opera scene and a founding member of the IKSV. Reference ...

, opera singer *

Leyla Gencer Ayşe Leyla Gencer (, née Çeyrekgil; 10 October 192810 May 2008) was a Turkish people, Turkish operatic soprano. Gencer was a notable ''bel canto'' soprano who spent most of her career in Italy, from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, an ...

, opera singer

1991

Necdet Yaşar Necdet Yaşar (; 1930 - October 24, 2017) was a Turkish ''tanbur'' lute player and teacher. A founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, he performed throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for Turkey and taught twice at ...

, classical Turkish musician *

İsmail Baha Sürelsan Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is c ...

, classical Turkish musician * Alaattin Yavaşça, classical Turkish musician *

Zeki Müren Zeki Müren (; 6 December 1931 – 24 September 1996) was a Turkish singer, composer, songwriter, actor and poet. Known by the nicknames "The Sun of Art" and " Pasha", he was one of the prominent figures of the Turkish classical music. Due to his ...

, classical Turkish musician * Teoman Önaldı, classical Turkish musician * Yesari Asım Arsoy, classical Turkish musician *

Sadi Yaver Ataman Saadi, Sadī, Sadi, or SADI may refer to: People * Sadi (name) * Saadi dynasty, a dynasty of Morocco Places * Sədi, village in Azerbaijan * Sadi, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Sadi, Marand, a village in Iran * Sadi, Kerman, a village in ...

, Turkish folk musician * Nida Tüfekçi, Turkish folk musician *

Mustafa Geceyatmaz Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name ...

, Turkish folk musician * Mustafa Turan, folk dances *

Barış Manço Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television producer and show host. Beg ...

, pop music * Hüseyin Sermet, pianist * Güher Pekinel, pianist * Süher Pekinel, pianist * Okan Demiriş, opera singer * Mete Uğur, opera singer * Macide Tanır, actress * Bozkurt Kuruç, actor * Osman F. Seden, film director *

Türkan Şoray Türkan Şoray (; born 28 June 1945) is a Turkish actress, writer and film director of Circassian origin. She is known as " Sultan" of the Cinema of Turkey. She started her career in 1960, and won her first award as the most successful actress ...

, film actress *

Hülya Koçyiğit Hülya Koçyiğit (born 12 December 1947) is a Turkish actress. A prominent female lead in the Turkish cinema, she received numerous awards at international film festivals, including the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. Altogether, she has ...

, film actress *

Orhan Şaik Gökyay Orhan Şaik Gökyay, (born 16 July 1902, İnebolu – 2 December 1994), was a Turkish literature history and language researcher, poet, teacher. Biography He was born on 16 July 1902 in İnebolu, where his father worked as a literature tea ...

, poet *

Tarık Buğra Süleyman Tarık Buğra (2 September 1918 – 26 February 1994) was a Turkish journalist, novelist and short story author. He was well-known author at Republican literature in his country. He was honoured as a State Artist in 1991. Buğra is the ...

, writer *

Attila İlhan Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...

, writer *

Ali Avni Çelebi ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

, painter * Sabri Berkel, painter * Turan Erol, painter * Devrim Erbil, painter * Hüseyin Arıkan Özkan, sculptor *

Sadi Diren Saadi, Sadī, Sadi, or SADI may refer to: People * Sadi (name) * Saadi dynasty, a dynasty of Morocco Places * Sədi, village in Azerbaijan * Sadi, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Sadi, Marand, a village in Iran * Sadi, Kerman, a village in ...

, ceramic art

1998

* Müzeyyen Senar * Mehveş Emeç *

Şefika Kutluer Şefika Kutluer (born 5 May 1961) is a Turkish musicians, Turkish female classical flautist. She was born in Ankara, Turkey. While still in the primary school, she transferred to the primary school section of Hacettepe University Ankara State Con ...

* Tekin Akmansoy * Muazzez Abacı *

Metin Akpınar Metin Akpınar (born 2 November 1941) is a Turkish actor. He has been one of the most successful comedians in Turkey. Biography He was born in Aksaray, Istanbul, and he graduated from Pertevniyal High School. He pursued his university career in F ...

İzzet Altınmeşe İzzet is a Turkish given name for males and a surname. Outside Turkey the name is sometimes written as Izzet. Notable people with the name İzzet or Izzet include: Given name * İzzet Günay (born 1934), Turkish film actor * İzzet Türkyılmaz ...

Selmi Andak Selmi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Ali Selmi, Tunisian football manager * Ali El Selmi, Egyptian academic * Djilali Selmi (born 1946), Algerian former footballer who played as a midfielder *Francesco Selmi, Italian chemis ...

* Avni Anıl * Nezihe Araz * Muzaffer Arıkan *

Orhan Asena Orhan Ghazi ( ota, اورخان غازی; tr, Orhan Gazi, also spelled Orkhan, 1281 – March 1362) was the second bey of the Ottoman Beylik from 1323/4 to 1362. He was born in Söğüt, as the son of Osman I. In the early stages of his ...

* Semih Balcıoğlu * Recep Bilginer * Ali Can * Koral Çalgan * İnci Çayırlı * Merih Çimenciler * Ali Doğan * Haldun Dormen * Armağan Elçi *

Erol Erdinç Erol Erdinç (born 30 November 1945) is a Turkish conductor of classical music, composer, pianist and educator. Early life and education Erol Erdinç started out studying composition with Ahmet Adnan Saygun and piano with T. Çetiz at the Ankar ...

* Özdemir Erdoğan * Musa Eroğlu * Muazzez Ersoy *

Semiha Berksoy Semiha Berksoy (24 May 1910 – 15 August 2004) was a Turkish opera singer and paintress. Early life Semiha Berksoy was born in Çengelköy, Istanbul. Her mother was a painter. Semiha studied music and the visual arts at Istanbul Conservatory.S ...

Zeki Alasya Zeki Alasya (18 April 1943 – 8 May 2015) was a Turkish actor and film director. Alasya was of Turkish Cypriot descent and was related to Kıbrıslı Mehmed Kamil Pasha. Biography Alasya was born in Istanbul. After studying at Robert College, h ...

* Mengü Ertel * Orhan Gencebay * Nurşen Girginkoç * Rengim Gökmen * Ruşen Güneş * Fahrettin Güven * Nedret Güvenç *

Fikret Hakan Fikret Hakan (born Bumin Gaffar Çitanak; 23 April 1934 – 11 July 2017) was a prolific Turkish film actor and a recipient of the honorary State Artist, a title awarded by the Turkish government. Hakan was born as Bumin Gaffar Çitanak in 1934 to ...

* Selahattin İçli *

Selim İleri Salim, Saleem or Selim may refer to: People *Salim (name), or Saleem or Salem or Selim, a name of Arabic origin *Salim (poet) (1800–1866) *Saleem (playwright) (fl. 1996) *Selim I, Selim II and Selim III, Ottoman Sultans *Selim people, an ethn ...

Çolpan İlhan Çolpan İlhan (8 August 1936 – 25 July 2014) was a Turkish cinema and theatre actress. In 1998 she was awarded the title of State Artist of Turkey. She acted in more than 300 films and theater plays. First years İlhan received her seco ...

* Yekta Kara * Cemil Karababa * Müşfik Kenter * Kayıhan Keskinok * Levent Kırca * Atilla Manizade *

Yusuf Nalkesen Yusuf ( ar, يوسف ') is a male name of Arabic origin meaning " God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning " YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew ...

* Tankut Öktem *

Gazanfer Özcan Gazanfer Özcan (27 January 1931 – 17 February 2009) was a Turkish actor. Biography Born on 27 January 1931 in Istanbul, He was a graduate of Vefa High School, Istanbul. Özcan started his career as an actor with the play ''Hisse-i Şaiy ...

* Ahmet Özhan *

Münir Özkul Münir Özkul (15 August 1925 – 5 January 2018) was a Turkish cinema and theatre actor. He has been awarded the title of "State Artist of Turkey". In 1972, he won a Golden Orange Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Sev Kardeşim' ...

* Sezen Cumhur Önal * Kutlu Payaslı *

Ajda Pekkan Ayşe Ajda Pekkan (; born 12 February 1946) is a Turkish singer. She is known by the title "superstar" in the Turkish media. Pekkan became a prominent figure of Turkish pop music with her songs, in which she tried to create a strong female figure ...

* Ali Poyrazoğlu * Ozan Sağdıç * Mustafa Sağyaşar * Samime Sanay * Emel Sayın *

Timur Selçuk Timur Selçuk (2 July 1946 – 6 November 2020) was a Turkish composer, pianist, singer and conductor. Biography One of the greatest Turkish composers, Timur Selçuk was the son of Turkish neo-classical music composer Münir Nurettin Selçuk ...

* Nedret Selçuker * Nesrin Sipahi * Ferit Sidal * Kamil Sönmez *

Muammer Sun Muammer Sun (15 October 1932 – 16 January 2021) was a Turkish composer of classical music. Biography Sun was born in Ankara. He entered the Military Band School in 1947 and the Ankara State Conservatory in 1953. He studied under Ahmet Adnan Sayg ...

* Gülriz Sururi *

Dinçer Sümer Dinçer is a surname of Turkish people, Turkish origin and may refer to: * Haluk Dinçer (born 1962), Turkish businessman * Kemal Dinçer (born 1963), Turkish basketball player * Ömer Dinçer (born 1956), Turkish politician * Semra Dinçer (1965-2 ...

Şener Şen Şener Şen (born 26 December 1941) is a Turkish film and theatre actor who has won the Golden Orange for Best Actor twice for his roles in ''Mr. Muhsin'' (1985) and '' Lovelorn'' (2005), the Golden Orange for Best Supporting Actor for '' Çöpç ...

* Ziya Taşkent * Orhan Taylan * Okay Temiz * Zekai Tunca * Neriman Altındağ Tüfekçi *

Dilek Türker Dilek is a Turkish word meaning ''wish'', ''request'' or ''desire''. It is used as a feminine given name as well as a noun and may refer to: Given name * Dilek Akagün Yılmaz (born 1963), Turkish politician * Dilek Gürsoy (born 1976), German hea ...

* Nejat Uygur *

Necdet Varol Necdet () is a Turkish given name for males. People named Necdet include: * Necdet Calp (1922-1998), Turkish civil servant and politician * Necdet Darıcıoğlu, Turkish judge * Necdet Karababa, Turkish politician * Necdet Kent (1911–2002), Tu ...

Gönül Yazar Gönül Yazar (born Mürşide Gönül Özyeğiner; 12 August 1936) is a Turkish singer and actress. In 1968 Yazar performed Marie Laforêt Marie Laforêt (born Maïtena Marie Brigitte Doumenach; 5 October 1939 – 2 November 2019) was a Fr ...

Jale Yılmabaşar Jale Yılmabaşar (born in Samsun, Turkey, 1939) is a Turkish painter and ceramicist. Early life and education Yılmabaşar was born in 1939 in Samsun, Turkey. Yılmabaşar's career as a ceramic artist began while studying in the United States ...

Nilüfer Yumlu Nilüfer is the Turkish word for " water lily", from Persian ''nilufar'' (نیلوفر), which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word for the blue lotus, ''nīlotpala'' (नीलोत्पल). It is a popular feminine given name in Tur ...

* Metin Yurdanur *

Gülşen Tatu Gülşen is a Turkish given name for females (originally from Persian Golshan/گلشن, means place of flowers). People named Gülşen include: * Gülşen Aktaş (born 1957), Turkish schoolteacher and political scientist * Gülşen Bayraktar, Turk ...

References

1971 establishments in Turkey Lists of celebrities Honorary titles of Turkey