>The kocek (plural kocekler in Turkish) was typically a very pretty young male slave effeminate dancer (rakkas), who usually cross-dressed in feminine attire, and was employed as an entertainer

>Before starting their performance, the kocek danced among the spectators, to make them more excited. In the audience, competition for their attention often caused commotions and altercations. Men would allegedly go wild, breaking their glasses, shouting themselves voiceless, or fighting and sometimes killing each other vying for the opportunity to rape, molest, or otherwise force the children into sexual servitude.

>Koceks were much more sought after than the cengi ("belly dancers"), their female counterparts. Some youths were known to have been killed by the cengi, who were extremely jealous of men's attention toward the boys.