Ankara record collector preserves Turkish vinyl heritage

Gürkan Gürbüz, a record shop owner based in Ankara, has maintained a passion for vinyl collecting for 40 years, a journey that began in flea markets during the early 1980s.

Gürbüz emphasizes the importance of preserving Turkish vinyl records. He notes that while international artists like Elvis Presley have widespread global pressings, legendary Turkish artists such as Neşet Ertaş and Aşık Mahsuni Şerif are primarily found within Turkey, making their records more vital to protect. His collection initially focused on artists like Cem Karaca.

Despite the rise of digital platforms, Gürbüz observes a significant resurgence in vinyl popularity, noting that the era of cassettes and CDs has largely passed. He highlights that while many older recordings from the 1960s and 1970s were lost due to poor preservation, new pressings of these classic albums are now entering the market, meeting higher quality standards than previous amateur attempts.