Mehmet Özbek was born in 1945 in Şanlıurfa (also known as Urfa). He studied at Istanbul University before becoming involved both in Turkish folk music as both a performer and educationalist.

Abdurrahman Kizilay (1938-2010) came from Kirkuk in Iraq. His original name was Omar Abdullah Ibrahim. An oud virtuoso, he took Turkish citizenship in 1974.
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