Bergen

Bergen — Biography

Bergen, born Belgin Sarılmışer on 15 July 1958 in Mersin, was one of the most popular Turkish arabesque singers of the 1980s and also appeared as an actress. Known as the "Queen of Arabesque," she released five records and eight albums during her career, reaching a wide audience with her fourth studio album, Acıların Kadını, released in late 1986.

In 1982 she lost the sight of her right eye after an attacker, acting on the instructions of her then-husband Halis Serbest, threw nitric acid at her face; she continued performing by covering the eye with her long hair. After divorcing Serbest, she was shot and killed by him on 14 August 1989, a tragedy that made her one of the most recognized symbols of violence against women in Turkey.

Bergen recorded 129 songs over her career, and several of her albums were released posthumously. Her life has been the subject of multiple films, most recently the 2022 biopic Bergen, which became one of the most-watched Turkish films ever made.