Alpay, Voice of “Eylülde Gel,” Dies at 91 in Turkey
Singer and composer Alpay, known for "Eylülde Gel," died at 91, AA reports.
Alpay, the Turkish pop and romantic folk singer and composer behind “Eylülde Gel” and “Fabrika Kızı,” has died at the age of 91. Singer Bora Gencer announced the news on social media on 14 October 2026. Alpay leaves a catalogue that shaped Turkish pop for several generations.
According to the Anadolu Agency (AA) report carried by Milliyet, he died in a hospital in Antalya, where he was being treated. Neither report gave a cause of death. Some other outlets say he died at his home in Bodrum, so that detail is not settled in the coverage.
Tributes from the Turkish music world
Gencer wrote that he was sad to lose a master whose songs had touched his heart since childhood. He described Alpay as a close friend of his late father, Yurdaer Doğulu. Gencer also wished patience to Alpay’s family and admirers.
Singer Kenan Doğulu also said goodbye on Instagram. He wrote that Alpay’s songs would live on for generations. The reports link both messages to the same family friendship with Yurdaer Doğulu.
Alpay’s career in Turkish pop
Ahmet Alpay Nazikioğlu was born in Ankara on 17 July 1935. Some sources give 18 July, but AA and Milliyet use 17 July. His father worked as a bureaucrat at TCDD, the state railways, and his mother as a party chief secretary.
Before music, Alpay played football. He played for Ankara Demirspor and Gençlerbirliği and reached the youth national team. He later graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law.
He began his professional music career in the early 1960s. According to AA, he founded his own orchestra in 1964. His early work included Turkish versions of French chansons and Italian Neapolitan songs. He also performed in English, Spanish, French and Italian.
AA counts more than 25 albums, including Kirpiklerini Ok Ok Eyle, Cennet Yolu, 7 Dilde Alpay, Güven Parkı and Aşk. His best-known songs include “Eylülde Gel” (Come in September), “Fabrika Kızı” (Factory Girl), “Kara Tren” (Black Train), “Gitme” (Don’t Go) and “Ayrılık Rüzgarı” (Wind of Parting).
Why Alpay matters to Turkish music
Milliyet describes Alpay as a bridge in the development of Turkish pop. AA places his work across romantic folk, rock and Anatolian pop. That mix of Western song forms and Turkish melodies helps explain why his songs reached different generations.
Many viewers of Turkish series know this era through the soundtracks and nostalgic playlists of period dramas. Alpay’s songs belong to the same story of how Turkish popular music grew in the 1960s and later.
No funeral details appeared in the reports reviewed for this article. Official announcements from his family or the relevant authorities will confirm the arrangements.
Source: Milliyet (AA), Anadolu Agency
Featured image: Anadolu Agency
