State Artist (Turkish: Devlet Sanatçısı, also sometimes translated as "National Artist") is an honorary title granted to prominent artists by the government of Turkey for their contributions to the Turkish culture. It was established in 1971 by the President of Turkey (Cevdet Sunay) and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. The award is issued for people occupied in various categories of arts: music, dance, theatre, photography, cinema, visual arts, literature, etc. Source: Wikipedia (en)