Bülent Ersoy was born Bülent Erkoç on 9 June 1952 in Istanbul, Bülent began her career as a male singer, in the genre of Turkish classical music, and became an actor early on.

, she gained international notoriety in 1981 after having sex reassignment surgery in London by a British plastic surgeon. she kept the name "Bülent" even though it is a male name.

Finally, in 1988, the Turkish Civil Code was revised so that those who completed sex reassignment surgery could apply for a pink or blue (pink for female, blue for male) identity card by which they were legally recognized in their new sex

Ersoy was injured in January 1999 while driving with her husband, but recovered after surgery. Later that year, she divorced

Ersoy sparked controversy in February 2008 when she publicly criticised Turkey's incursion into northern Iraq and said she "would not send her sons to war" if she were a mother.!!!!!

An Istanbul public prosecutor has subsequently filed charges against her for "turning Turks against compulsory military service", an article which also brought prominent Turkish intellectual Perihan Mağden to trial in recent pas

The Turkish Human Right Foundation (IHD) have stood up to Ersoy's defence. On 19 December 2008, Ersoy was pronounced not guilty of charges by a Turkish court.

Her public even took to calling her "Abla," or "elder sister," an affectionate sign of their total acceptance of her gender.

Despite her personal victory and acceptance of her fans, Ersoy has had some controversy.

Critics noted that in a film in which Ersoy plays a cancer patient who falls in love, she never kisses her leading man