Kurtis was born in Skopje, North Macedonia to Turkish parents.

[5] Kurtis showed a strong interest in Islamic nasheeds from a very young age.

[4] His music is influenced by Sufi, Turkish classical, Arabic and European styles.

[6] In May 2004, his debut album Salawat, produced by Awakening Records, was released and[7] featured songs that combine Arabic, Turkish and English.

[8] It was well received by Muslim listeners around the world after his first music video "Al‐Burdah" which was filmed on location in the islands off the coast of Turkey.