Turgay Tanülkü

Turgay Tanülkü — Biography

Turgay Tanülkü was born on 18 July 1953 in Uşak; he graduated from the Theatre Department of Ankara State Conservatory in 1976 and joined Ankara State Theatre the same year. In 1970-71 he took drama and psycho-gymnastics training at the Leningrad Theatre Academy, taught acting at Dokuz Eylül University from 1987 to 1989, and won an International Directing Award in Konya in 1984. Plays he staged with inmates through theatre groups he founded in prisons, reformatories and schools for the blind brought him a peace prize from Germany's Green Party.

His screen career began in 1991 with Kıssadan Hisseler, and series such as Kurtlar Vadisi, Arka Sokaklar, Cennet Mahallesi and Yalan Dünya made him widely known; he played Cem in Fatih Akın's The Edge of Heaven. From 2015 to 2021 he played Şahin Ağa in Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz, then Derviş Aslankaya in Camdaki Kız; in 2024 he played Hızır Çelebi in Mehmed: Fetihler Sultanı and appeared in C Takımı and Çatlı. Though he has no biological children, he has raised 26 foster children and has 9 grandchildren.