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Istanbul-born actor, writer and producer Tarik Akan, one of Turkish cinema's most recognizable faces, is being remembered this month on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Over a 45-year career that began in 1971, Akan moved from lighthearted romantic films to socially and politically charged dramas, a shift that reshaped how audiences saw him and cemented his place in Turkish film history.
Born Tahsin Tarik Uregul in Istanbul, with sources citing either October 13 or December 13, 1949, as his birth date, Akan spent part of his childhood in Erzurum, in eastern Türkiye, and Kayseri, in central Türkiye, following his father's postings as a military officer.
His family later settled in Bakirkoy, a district on Istanbul's European side. He studied mechanical engineering at Yildiz Technical University before switching to the journalism school at Istanbul University.
As a student, he worked odd jobs at Atakoy Beach in Istanbul, including as a lifeguard and soft-drink seller.
Akan entered the film industry in 1970 after winning a "Cinema Artist Competition" organized by Ses magazine, with encouragement from a close friend.
He later recounted that several producers initially turned him away, with one telling him he was too tall to become an actor. He made his screen debut in 1971 in "Like a Fading Leaf" (Solan Bir Yaprak Gibi), directed by Mehmet Dinler, and began using the name Tarik Akan with that film.
The same year, he shared the lead role in "Emine" with Filiz Akin. His height, green eyes and easygoing screen presence quickly made him popular.
Akan rose to fame within Yesilcam, the informal name for Türkiye's mainstream film industry, centered historically around a street of the same name in Istanbul and often compared to Hollywood for its studio-era output of popular romantic and comedic films from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Through the first half of the 1970s, Akan appeared in close to 12 films a year, mostly romantic comedies and dramas, including "My Dear Brother" (Canım Kardeşim), "Love, My Brother" (Sev Kardeşim), "The Blue Bead" (Mavi Boncuk), "Ah, Where" (Ah Nerede) and "Zehra the Night Owl" (Gece Kuşu Zehra).
He also played the character Damat Ferit in Ertem Egilmez's "The Chaos Class" (Hababam Sınıfı), a role that remains closely associated with him. Known during this period as a "postcard boy," he became one of Yesilcam's most popular leading men.
In the second half of the 1970s, Akan's acting shifted toward social and political subject matter. He appeared in "The River" (Nehir), "The Mine" (Maden), "The Herd" (Sürü), "Canal" (Kanal) and "The Way" (Yol), aligning himself with Türkiye's social realist film movement.
"The Way" (Yol), directed by Serif Goren from a screenplay by Yilmaz Guney, won the Palme d'Or at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival in France and remains one of the defining films of his career.
Akan received numerous honors over his career. His performance in "Guilty" (Suçlu) earned him the Best Actor award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, and he went on to win the same award for "The Mine" (Maden) in 1978, "The Vow" (Adak) and "The Herd" (Sürü) in 1980, "The Wrestler" (Pehlivan) in 1984, "The Third Eye" (Üçüncü Göz) in 1989, "Blackout Nights" (Karartma Geceleri) in 1990 and "My Rose" (Gülüm) in 2003, making him the only male actor to win the Golden Orange seven times.
He also received a special mention at the 1985 Berlin International Film Festival in Germany, a Best Actor award at the 1992 Adana Golden Boll Film Festival in southern Türkiye, a lifetime achievement award from the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996, an honor award from the Cinema Writers Association in 2006, and a labor of cinema award from the Association of Contemporary Cinema Performers in 2007.
Beyond acting, Akan worked as a writer, producer and documentary narrator, including for "The Antique Plunder" (Antika Talanı) in 1997, and directed several documentaries on Türkiye's ancient history.
He co-founded Tas Mektep, a primary school in Bakirkoy, in 1991 and later served as chairman of the Nesin Foundation.
His later film credits include "Vizontele Tuuba" (an invented word, kept in its original form in English releases), "My Rose" (Gülüm), "As Abdülhamid Falls" (Abdülhamid Düşerken) and "Don't Act So Crazy" (Deli Deli Olma), among dozens of other films and television roles across his career.
Akan, who had three children, died on September 16, 2016, at the age of 66 following lung cancer treatment.
His death anniversary was marked this year with a ceremony at Tas Mektep, the Bakirkoy school he helped found, attended by family, former students, teachers and fellow artists.
His daughter, Ozlem Uregul, read a letter dedicated to her father, and the school's principal, Burcu Aybat, said Akan lives on in Türkiye's collective memory through the many characters he played.
A memorial also took place at his grave in Bakirkoy's Zuhuratbaba Cemetery, where his sons, Yasar Ozgur Uregul and Baris Zeki Uregul, spoke about his lasting impact on their family.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Bakirkoy Municipality are also holding a separate commemorative program at Bakirkoy Square, featuring performances and screenings on his life and career.
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