In 2003, Saltık's work through Kalan made him a laureate of the international Prince Claus Awards on the theme "The survival and innovation of Crafts" for having "played a central role in the rescue, rediscovery and documentation of the cultural diversity of Turkish music".
[4] In 2003 (aged 39), Saltık's work through Kalan made him a laureate of Netherlands's international Prince Claus Awards on the theme "The survival and innovation of Crafts" for having "played a central role in the rescue, rediscovery and documentation of the cultural diversity of Turkish music".
[4] The jury concluded, "Saltik founded a small company to produce recordings of the highest quality which have been the catalyst for the revival of musical traditions and led to their dissemination worldwide.
[3] Because laws passed after the 1980 Turkish coup d'état banned songs in minority languages, especially in Kurdish (deeming them separatist), Saltık's work has been political as well as musical.
"[3] As of 2004, the governmental change after the 2002 elections and the evolution of Turkey towards being a part of the European Union had led to a normalization of relations between Saltık and officials, such as the Turkish Culture Ministry handing out Kalan CDs to visiting dignitaries.