Atalay Demirci

Atalay Demirci — Biography

Atalay Demirci was born on 8 July 1976 in Nallıhan, a district of Ankara. He is known as a stand-up comedian, poet, writer, actor and television and radio presenter. Because his family moved often, he spent his early childhood in several cities; his interest in literature and the stage began early and he started writing poetry as a teenager.

He first performed on stage in 1999 and from 2008 appeared with Ankara Sanat Evi, the same year presenting the programme Akıl Küpleri on Ses TV. He played the character Tetikçi Bedo in the film Hop Dedik: Deli Dumrul (2011). In 2013 he won Yetenek Sizsiniz Türkiye, the Turkish version of Got Talent, which brought him national fame. That year he began his show Kel Alaka, which aired on TV8 in 2014, where he also hosted the quiz programme 100 Kişiye Sorduk. In 2015 he took the lead role of Yüksel Güvercin in the film Güvercin Uçuverdi. He is said to have given more than 3,000 shows in 34 countries, and has published poetry books.

In August 2016 Demirci was detained in a FETÖ/PDY investigation and arrested on a charge of membership of an armed terrorist organisation. On 3 March 2020 the Ankara 19th High Criminal Court sentenced him to five years in prison, and the sentence was upheld on appeal on 29 June 2021. He was caught in Istanbul on 13 May 2026 while wanted over the finalised sentence, and was jailed.