2025 was not a good year for Spotify’s relationship with the government in Türkiye, with a censorship row, competition inquiry and threats by the streaming service to pull out of the country in protest.
Now, though, Spotify appears to have made its peace with the Turkish regime. This morning it has confirmed the opening of its new office in Istanbul and announced a new leader for its business there: MD Akshat Harbola.
“Türkiye is a priority market for us, and deepening our presence reflects our long-term commitment to the country’s music ecosystem, its creators, and its culture,” he said in a statement.
Unsaid: also its commitment to mending bridges with the authorities, which began last November with the launch of an ‘Icon Türkiye’ initiative to promote catalogue songs and artists from the country.
Today’s news came with some stats on Turkish music’s global growth on Spotify. The company says that 52 million people outside Türkiye listened to at least one Turkish-language track in 2025, while ‘export streams’ of Turkish music grew 160% between 2020 and 2025.
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