A new song about an end to suffering from one of Turkey’s best-known pop stars has gone viral in the economically battered country. 

Opposition parties quickly adopted the song as a rallying cry, using its lyrics on Twitter to imply the end of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule was near.

The song Geccek (It will pass) by superstar Tarkan went viral on social media shortly after its release on YouTube at 1800 GMT on Thursday. 

By 1030 GMT on Friday, it had hit over four million YouTube views.

The lyrics have made an impact at a time of severe economic woes in Turkey, where inflation has reached nearly 50 per cent and a lack of optimism particularly haunts young people.

Polls suggest Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, faces a major challenge in elections next year, as anger against his ruling party grows.

“Everything has an end”, the composer of 1997 earworm Kiss Kiss assures in his new hit. “This suffering will also be over.”

Some observers saw the song as a political message, even though the lyrics make no mention of Erdogan. 

Politicians from the main opposition CHP swiftly took to Twitter to share its lyrics. “It will go as it came,” party spokesman Faik Oztrak tweeted pointedly.

Meral Aksener, leader of the right-wing opposition Iyi Party, said the song was a message to Erdogan’s government that he only had a short time left as leader.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: Adem Altan/AFP

Tarkan said the state of the world over the past year had brought him to despair, particularly environmental destruction and the COVID pandemic. 

“I wanted to write a song that would ... maybe console us, lift our spirits or give us hope,” he said on YouTube.

Tarkan, 49, who was born in Germany to Turkish parents, regularly comments on social and environmental issues. 

In 2009, he campaigned to stop the construction of a controversial dam in southeastern Turkey with a song called Wake up.