Pop star in Turkey is facing scrutiny over song lyrics

Nicknamed “Little Sparrow,” Aksu has been an innovator in the Turkish pop scene for nearly half a century. Though her initial fame was due to her rich and husky voice and live shows, she is also widely known as a songwriter. A brilliant lyricist, Aksu is very apt at turning everyday phrases or saucy expressions into catchy, devil-may-care refrains or moving her audience to tears with songs that captured moments of agony, such as the death of a child or destruction of a town.