By day, the 42-year old Muslim cleric chants the Azan—the Islamic call to prayer—from a small mosque in the coastal village of Pinarbasi, where he preaches to about 150 people. By night, he preaches the gospel of Led Zeppelin, singing about a different stairway to heaven with his four-piece rock band, FiRock, led by Mr. Tuzer and heavily tattooed metal guitarist Dogan Sakin.

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"There are many old Islamic hymns and songs, but young people today don't listen to them. Our aim is to wrap these songs into rock, blues and psychedelic music, if necessary, to create a style that the young people like," Mr. Tuzer said. "Music is one of the ways to get closer to the God."

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Minor celebrity status has also brought other unwelcome attention, drawing threats from more conservative Muslims on social media. For Mr. Tuzer, the reaction speaks to a broader question about what it means to be an imam: "The image of Islam is suffering right now, and we need to lead our community. If being an imam means solely acting within a framework of rules and taboos, it's not for me."

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