Turkey's first folk music radio station, Yön Radyo, celebrates its 30th anniversary

Starting its broadcasting life in 1995 with the motto "Folk songs are now everywhere," Yön Radyo holds the distinction of being Turkey's first folk music radio station. Having never changed its broadcasting line and meticulously maintaining its content and quality over the past 30 years, Yön Radyo addresses its listeners on its 30th anniversary by saying, "From Anatolia to the universal, you have been in the same direction for 30 years."

Continuing its broadcasts with the goal of carrying the melodies and folk songs of Anatolia, which possesses the world's richest folklore heritage, to universal culture, Yön Radyo is accepted as the reference radio station for folk songs.

Reaching wide audiences with its news and informative programs aimed at helping the public access the truth and fostering an environment of free thought, Yön Radyo has left its mark on the last 30 years of Turkey with its impactful broadcasts on significant events, from the Gazi Massacre to the Gezi Resistance, and from the Ergenekon operations to the Justice March.

Serving as a school for radio broadcasters, Yön Radyo is now managed by 3rd-generation broadcasters, most of whom are women.

'ANATOLIA'S MOST COMMON VALUE: OUR FOLK SONGS'

Yön Radyo founder and CHP Istanbul MP Yüksel Mansur Kılınç, in his statement regarding the 30th anniversary of Yön Radyo, said, "There was a need for all the colors of Anatolia to recognize and draw closer to each other, that is, for unity, and to get to know each other better. This could be done through broadcasting. This could be done with folk songs. Folk songs are the most common value of our country and our society. Keeping folk songs alive, having them embrace society, and meeting through folk songs means social unity and peace. That is why Yön Radyo, that is why folk songs."

Stating that they have taken a journey from Anatolia to the universal with our folk songs, Kılınç continued his words as follows: "On this journey, we have endeavored to contribute to peace in our country and the world. We believe we have contributed to the development of democratic culture. By forming broadcasting partnerships in Turkey with the world's largest broadcasting organizations, Yön Radyo has created a broadcasting line that contributes to the organization of media on a global scale and to the media belonging to the people."

'THIS SUCCESS IS BUILT ON LABOR, SOLIDARITY, AND RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE PUBLIC'

Yön Radyo News Director Erdal Emre emphasized that it is a great success for a broadcasting organization to continue its broadcasts for 30 years under Turkish conditions, stating that the most important elements of this success are labor and solidarity. Emre continued his words as follows: "Our programmer friends, broadcasting colleagues, artist friends, and people from different segments of society who have crossed paths with Yön Radyo over these 30 years have all contributed to Yön Radyo. The coming together of this labor is one of the most important elements of Yön Radyo's success. There is labor in this 30-year success, there is value given to the struggle for labor. There is solidarity, there is high sensitivity toward social struggle. There is our country's broadcasting accumulation. Most importantly, there is responsibility toward the public under all conditions."

YÖN RADYO IS MANAGED BY 3RD-GENERATION FEMALE EXECUTIVES ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Expressing her feelings by saying, "We look to the future more brightly with the strength we draw from the traces of the past," Yön Radyo Board Chair Gülhan Taşkıran, while Yön Radyo Board Member Elif Helin Kılınç stated, "Yön Radyo was founded 30 years ago with the efforts of my elders. I grew up here, I was shaped by breathing the air of this place. Now we are working to carry this precious value to the future and to be the voice of the people in the future as well."

Yön Radyo General Broadcasting Director Hilal Özdemir expressed her excitement for the 30th anniversary by saying, "We have transferred our folk songs from the past to the future generations, and we will continue to do so. We are happy, enthusiastic, and excited," while Yön Radyo's youngest employee, Technical Director Berfin Kutsal, emphasized that Yön Radyo is a school with very solid foundations.

Folk music artists whose songs reach listeners through Yön Radyo also celebrated Yön Radyo's 30th anniversary with their messages. More than 50 artists, from Erkan Oğur to Cengiz Özkan, from Yavuz Top to Sabahat Akkiraz, from Ender Balkır to Belkıs Akkale, and from Erdal Erzincan to Melike Demirağ, addressed their listeners from Yön Radyo on its 30th anniversary and celebrated the station's milestone.

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES FROM ARTISTS TO YÖN RADYO

Here are some of those messages:

Yavuz Top: "Yön Radyo has truly been an important resource that fills a major gap in Turkey, delivering our culture, our deyiş (spiritual songs), and our nefes (breath songs) to us. I thank its founder and employees very, very much."

Erkan Oğur: "I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th anniversary. I wish for it to continue its awareness as a document, witness, and treasure of our folk songs and Anatolian life."

Sabahat Akkiraz: "I have an album called 'Folk Song is Life.' Truly, folk song is life, and life is a folk song. For 30 years, we have had our Yön Radyo, which gives direction to our lives and our folk songs. I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th year. We never turn our direction away from folk songs."

Erdal Erzincan: "Hello. I took my first steps in my professional music life by holding onto Yön Radyo, and the communication I started in those days with Yön Radyo still continues. The 30th year is both my 30th year and our radio's 30th year. For this reason, the direction of my life has merged with Yön Radyo. To many more 30 years. Stay healthy."

Cengiz Özkan: "I celebrate the service Yön Radyo has provided to folk culture and folk songs for 30 years, and I wish for many more 30 years."

Musa Eroğlu: "Happy 30th anniversary to our Yön Radyo. I convey my respects to its employees and those who contributed."

Tolga Sağ: "I congratulate Yön Radyo on its 30th anniversary, which has stood by, shouldered, and supported me and many of our artist friends like me since the first day I set out on my musical journey. I wish them success in their future broadcasting life."

Ali Rıza Binboğa: "Yön Radyo is an extraordinary broadcasting organization that continues its life with its stance as a very beautiful broadcasting organization and is capable of continuing even more. I convey my wishes for it to continue for many more 30 years as an irreplaceable broadcasting organization."

Aysun Gültekin: "I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th anniversary. I wish for it to serve our people for many long years. I thank Yön Radyo very much for the value they place on folk music, art, artists, and culture."

Belkıs Akkale: "As someone who has dedicated her life to folk songs, I congratulate Yön Radyo very much for the value and contribution it gives to folk songs. We all know the services it has provided for many long years. I desire and hope that it will be on the air for many more years."

Dertli Divani: "Greetings. Yön Radyo is our window opening to the world. It is a radio station that I admire for its broadcasting policy and for the great effort it puts into transferring folk songs, deyiş, halay (folk dances), laments, maniler (quatrains), and melodies that summarize life in a cultural context to the outside world. Wishing that we remain with Yön Radyo and that its successes grow even stronger."

Ender Balkır: "I celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Yön Radyo, the voice of Anatolia. Wishing that our direction always leads to light, hope, and love, here is to many more 30 years..."

Erdal Güney: "I celebrate the 30th anniversary of Yön Radyo. It is a radio station that brings our music to our listeners and is always by our side. May its life be beautiful and long."

Fuat Saka: "I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th anniversary. I also congratulate them for not compromising on their broadcasting policies."

Hüseyin Turan: "I congratulate all the laborers and all the listeners of Yön Radyo on its 30th anniversary."

Kemal-Metin Kahraman: "For 30 years, it has tried to be the voice and breath of dissident artists and musicians whose paths were blocked politically. As Metin-Kemal Kahraman, we wish Yön Radyo many more successful and hopeful years."

Nilüfer Akbal: "Yön Radyo continues to touch the soul and heart of all of us, all its listeners, with the broadcasts it has made for many years. I wish for the continuation of its success. I thank all the friends who contributed."

Onur Akın: "As an artist who has witnessed these 30 years firsthand, I am one of the artists who knows very well how important a radio station is in human life, but not just any radio, but a dissident radio, an alternative radio, that is, a radio for people in this country who always look at art and life from a dissident, alternative direction. Yön Radyo has fulfilled this duty completely. I wish them success on this honorable path and congratulate all the radio employees from the heart."

Sevcan Orhan: "Happy 30th anniversary of the founding of Yön Radyo to all of us. Because of the value it gives to folk songs and our culture, it has an incredibly precious place in my professional life. Whether it's its stance, its broadcasting flow to date, or the trust it gives to its listeners, it always has a special place in our hearts. May it have many more 30 years."

Güler Duman: "I celebrate the 30th anniversary of Yön Radyo, which is one of the first radio stations that comes to my mind when folk songs are mentioned. I send my love and greetings to all its listeners. I listen to you too. I'm glad you exist."

Zafer Gündoğdu: "Yön Radyo is very important because they carry out a news network and, along with it, a music broadcast that we do not even see or hear on public and state radio stations, and we listen to programs on Yön Radyo by very important bards and very important artists that we cannot hear or listen to on other radio stations today. Love to everyone who contributed."

Suavi: "I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th year from the heart. To many more 30 years. With folk songs, melodies, and without breaking away from its people. Hoping that it stays with us without breaking away from folk songs and art."

Cem Yıldız: "Being the one who made Yön Radyo's first jingle is still a very special moment for me. In fact, this recording stands in a separate place as one of the first jobs I did during my student years. I feel lucky to have contributed to a radio station so intertwined with music, culture, and the voice of the people. To many more 30 years."

Melike Demirağ: "I have always found radio stations mysterious. You try to solve the mystery coming from behind that voice, the voice you only hear. You let yourself go into the void with those melodies, you let yourself go into dreams, you let yourself go into your hopes. Radio stations are very important. On this occasion, I celebrate Yön Radyo's 30th anniversary and wish for the continuation of its success."

Cahit Berkay: "Happy 30th anniversary to Yön Radyo, and I wish for many more 30 years. But while making this wish, a lifestyle without folk songs, where we cannot listen to folk songs, would really be very tasteless and bland. I mean, it would be unbearable. I'm glad Yön Radyo exists."