British pop star Adele has been accused of plagiarism by Turkish music lovers, who say one of the tracks on her latest album is a rip-off of a song by an iconic Kurdish musician.

Adele's Turkish critics say "Million Years Ago", track number nine on her album "25", bears an unmistakable resemblance to a tune by Ahmet Kaya called "Acılara Tutunmak" ("Clinging to Pain"), which was recorded in 1985.

The song's release has created a storm on social media in Turkey, with some users accusing the 27-year performer of "stealing" the melancholic tune from Kaya, who died in France in exile 15 years ago.

"Adele has stolen a song from us," one user named Esra Nur Aydogan wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture of a man hanging a Turkish flag on his balcony in protest.

Kaya's wife, Gulten Kaya, also weighed in, saying it was unlikely a global star like Adele would do such a thing.

"However, if she consciously did it, then it would be theft," she told Turkish daily Posta.

Adele's third studio album has sold millions of copies in both Britain and the US, smashing records on either side of the Atlantic.