Merhaba! Here is something I have long been curious about: If I understand correctly from my reading, the Turkish government was strict with artists in the 1960s and ´70s, censoring and even directing content. This makes me wonder about one of my favorite Barış Manço songs, "Lambaya Püf De." It seems quite suggestive, especially for its day. Was this not a problem as far as the government was concerned? 

Here is a link, in case you do not know the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=SpeNcnSknRo

Here is the list of banned songs in past by TRT and its reasons:

http://www.hafifmuzik.org/haber/trtden-yasakli-sarkilar-gecidi/

Banned songs of Barış Manço and its reasons:

Barış Manço

Arkadaşım Eşşek: İnsanın arkadaşı eşek olamaz. (Manço’ya ‘Kuzu’ olarak değiştirmesi önerilmiş.

My Friend Donkey:: A person can´t have a donkey friend. They suggested him to change donkey with lamb.

Lambaya “Püf” De: Erotik bulunmuş.

Say Puff to Lamp. It was considered erotic.

Ölüm Allahın Emri: Girişte zurna kullanılmış. (Pop müzikte zurna kullanılamaz). Sözlerde karamsarlık var.

Death Is The Command of God: Clarion was used in the beginning of song. It can´t be used in pop songs. And song has pesimist words.

Bir Bahar Akşamı: Türk sanat müziğinin yozlaştırılmış bir örneği. Bir pop müzik şarkıcısı Türk sanat müziği okuyamaz.

A Spring Evening: It is a degenerated example of Turkish Art Music. A pop singer can´t sing Turkish Art Music.

Note: I wish the reasons were jokes. 

Teşekkürler, Gokuyum! This is very interesting. Even the most innocuous songs seem to have been under scrutiny -- "Arkadaşım Eşek"! This came to be considered a children´s song, didn´t it?

So, TRT would bar songs from TV and radio, but does that mean people could still buy the records in the store?

I have also wondered about Manço´s 1968 song "Susanna," which is clearly about free love. (It certainly fit the era in which it was written.) When he sang the song on TRT in the early ´80s, it had been revamped to "Şehrazat," with much more innocent-sounding lyrics (but still a hint of suggestion). Do you think he made the change because of TRT, or just because he was experimenting with his own song? (His view of life may have changed by then, too. I think he may have been a family man by that time.)

Oh....the memories this bring up. I loved that song, still do. Thank you Trip.

What sort of memories are they?  

I tend to agree with this one.  People should not be friends with jackasses! 

Elisabeth is back and in great shape I see

So, does this banning of songs mean that Manço was something of a rebel? At least in his earlier years? In his later years, from what I can tell, he became almost a father figure. I know he is much loved and remembered fondly in Turkey. But do people remember his whole history? (By the way, I like that he was on the cutting edge in the ´60s and ´70s. He was groovy, man!)

I don´t think he was a rebel. Cem Karaca was but he wasn´t.