In the 106th episode of the program “Eylül Aşkın İle,” prepared and presented by Eylül Aşkın, İlker Aydın, who stands out with his dual identity as both a doctor and a musician, sincerely narrated his story from his childhood years to the present day in a special interview held in Berlin Charlottenburg.
Aydın stated that growing up as the child of a Turkish family in Germany naturally offered him a multifaceted cultural world. He expressed that although his first language was German, his Turkish identity and warm family ties were strongly felt at home; therefore, he never felt like a foreigner within German society, and his connection with Turkey was never broken. According to him, growing up in Germany did not mean being caught between two cultures, but rather, it meant being able to embrace both cultures simultaneously and building an identity from this dual richness.
His introduction to music began with piano lessons in elementary school; however, the moment that deeply affected him and changed the direction of his life was when he encountered the energy of rock bands he saw on television. Buying his first electric guitar at just 17 and taking the stage with a band he formed at the same age, starting to write his own songs, showed that music was not just a dream or a necessity for him, but almost an internal impulse. Despite this, his decision to pursue a medical education instead of a professional music career was both a realistic and a very conscious choice. Believing in the importance of intensive training in music from an early age, Aydin emphasized that he saw himself as insufficiently prepared for that path, but he never abandoned music; on the contrary, music remained the strongest area of expression that balanced his soul throughout his life. Even during his medical school years, his guitar was always with him; finding a melody amidst notes, exams, and shifts was like breathing for him.
The year 2007 opened a separate chapter in his musical journey. Influenced by the rising era of rock music in Turkey, Aydın started producing songs in Turkish with his brother and, by signing with a record company in Berlin, brought the project named ION to life. A 12-track album was released under this project, and a highly professional production process was carried out for the conditions of the time. The international success of bands like Mor ve Ötesi in Turkey during that period, and Turkish rock music going through a strong era, gave them both courage and inspiration. Although ION was a short-lived project, for Aydın, it was an experience that both opened the doors to Turkish songwriting and allowed him to understand the effects of music on people more deeply. Around the same time, influenced by his medical career, working as a tour doctor on major concert tours allowed him to observe the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the music industry firsthand; the discipline and effort behind the curtain, as much as the glitter of the big stages, broadened his horizons.
Today, İlker Aydın stands out as a versatile musician capable of producing works in three languages: Turkish, English, and German. The artist states that the emotion carried by the melody and the direction of the story determine which language a song will be written in. He explains that sometimes the rhythm of a sentence leads him to a German song, while sometimes the melancholic tone of a single melody spontaneously calls for Turkish lyrics. The Turkish song “Belki,” featured on his new album, is seen as one of the strongest reflections of both his own emotional journey and the spirit of the album. Aydın says that inspiration sometimes comes while walking, sometimes during a conversation, and sometimes when he least expects it. He immediately records the melodies that come to his mind and later develops them through harmonic, rhythmic, and structural work, expressing that the real creative effort emerges in the process of turning that small spark into a mature song.
Berlin’s multicultural, art-infused atmosphere plays a decisive role in İlker Aydın’s both personal and musical identity. The presence of a broad audience in this city, open to listening to music in different languages, allows artists to express themselves freely. Aydın says that this boundless spirit of Berlin is reflected in his own music, that people’s sincere, direct, and unbiased approach motivates him in production, and that the strength of the connection established, not the size of the audience, is the most valuable element for him. This in-depth interview with Eylül Aşkın powerfully reveals the balanced life Aydın has built between being a doctor and a musician, his passion for creation, the perspective gained from cultural diversity, and that music is an indispensable means of expression for him.
