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Turkish girl group Manifest has released “Hileli,” a new duet with pop icon Ajda Pekkan, bringing together one of Türkiye’s most established stars with one of the country’s fastest rising pop acts.
The song was released on digital platforms on Friday and quickly drew attention across social media, with its music video receiving nearly 1.9 million views within 16 hours after its release.
Written and composed by Ates Atilla, “Hileli” pairs Pekkan, widely known in Türkiye as the “Superstar” of Turkish pop, with Manifest members Sueda Uluca, Hilal Yelekci, Lidya Pinar, Zeynep Oktay, Mina Solak, and Esin Bahat.
The collaboration had already been teased in recent weeks, when Pekkan invited Manifest to join her on stage during a concert in Istanbul. The group performed “Bambaska Biri” with Pekkan, who voiced her support for them in front of the audience.
“Girls, you are wonderful, I am behind you,” Pekkan said on stage, while also announcing that they were preparing a new song together.
The “Hileli” video leans heavily into cultural imagery, opening with an aerial view of Istanbul before moving into an old traditional mansion-like setting.
Traditional details, including carpet motifs, braided hair, tea, prayer beads, Turkish coffee, backgammon, tiles, and a crossword puzzle solved in a coffeehouse, give the video a recognizably local visual language.
Singer Irem Derici commented, “This is it,” while listeners described the track as a likely summer hit and called the project "very special."
The release also follows a period of heightened public attention around Manifest.
The group came under scrutiny after a concert in Istanbul on Sept. 6, 2025, when authorities opened an investigation into the members over accusations of “indecent acts” and “exhibitionism.”
Prosecutors had sought prison sentences of six months to one year for the group members, and the members were sentenced to three months and 22 days in prison in December.
Against that backdrop, pop icon Ajda Pekkan’s collaboration with Manifest has carried more than the usual weight of a pop duet.
For many listeners, “Hileli” marks a visible endorsement from one of Türkiye’s most enduring pop figures at a moment when Manifest’s public profile is expanding beyond its younger fan base.
The strong early response also points to the group’s growing reach, with “Hileli” quickly becoming the most discussed Turkish pop release of the day. Possibly months.
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