- ‘After the Arab world itself, Umm Kulthum’s largest fan base in the Middle East was in Türkiye,’ according to author Murat Ozyildirim ISTANBUL When Turkish singer Arif Altunkaya first heard Umm Kulthum’s voice at the age of 19, it stopped him cold. “I remember thinking, if what we’re making is music, then what is this?” Altunkaya said, recalling his first encounter with her 1964 classic Enta Omri (You’re My Life) around 2006 or 2007. “You can't help but start comparing. And of course, it