8 years have passed since the passing of legendary Yeşilçam actor Tarık Akan

Tarık Akan, the master actor of Turkish cinema who won hearts with the films he starred in and his political stance, has passed away 8 years ago.

The master artist, who starred in more than 120 films throughout his life and was awarded the Golden Orange 7 times, passed away at the age of 66 on September 16, 2016, at the hospital where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer.

Tarık Akan is being commemorated by his fans with social media posts on the 8th anniversary of his death.

WHO IS Tarık Akan?

Tarık Akan, who shared lead roles with Münir Özkul, Adile Naşit, Şener Şen, and Kemal Sunal in unforgettable Yeşilçam films, was born on December 13, 1949, as the third child of Hüseyin Yaşar Üregül and Yaşar Üregül.

The master actor, whose real name was Tahsin Tarık Üregül, began his education at Erzurum Dumlupınar Primary School due to his father's military service and continued it in Kayseri. After his father retired, the artist moved to Istanbul with his family and completed his middle and high school education in Bakırköy.

After graduating from Yıldız Technical University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, the artist decided that engineering was not for him and enrolled in the Istanbul University Institute of Journalism. While studying in the evening program at the institute, Tarık Akan spent his days selling soda and renting out rowboats at Ataköy Beach with his close friend Zeki İrfanoğlu. Together with İrfanoğlu, he also sold soda at Dolmabahçe Stadium and worked as a street vendor.

In 1970, Akan placed first out of 200 contestants in the Cinema Artist Competition organized by Ses magazine, for which his friend Zeki İrfanoğlu had applied on his behalf without his knowledge.

The artist, who stepped into cinema in 1971 with director Mehmet Dinler's film "Solan Bir Yaprak Gibi" (Like a Fading Leaf), began using the name Tarık Akan following the film.

Winning the admiration of audiences with his tall stature, green eyes, and charming style, the artist shared the lead role with Filiz Akın in the film "Emine" that same year, written by Sadık Şendil and directed by Orhan Aksoy.

Akan, who was known for a time as the "Postcard Boy," starred in the 1973 production "Canım Kardeşim" (My Dear Brother) and the 1974 production "Hababam Sınıfı" (The Chaos Class), both directed by Ertem Eğilmez and considered unforgettable works of Turkish cinema.

Between 1970 and 1975, the artist became one of the unforgettable names of Turkish cinema by starring in 12 films per year.

Akan, who often used the name "Ferit" in the films he starred in, appeared in "Ah Nerede" with Gülşen Bubikoğlu, "Mavi Boncuk" with Emel Sayın, "Sev Kardeşim" with Hülya Koçyiğit, and "Gece Kuşu Zehra" with Hale Soygazi. The films were met with great interest from cinema lovers.

Leaving his mark on the 1970s with his style and becoming one of the leading men of Yeşilçam, Akan, who successfully handled every role, began to take part in political films following the 1977 film "Sürü," directed by Zeki Ökten.

After deciding to stop acting in salon films and embarking on a different path in cinema, Tarık Akan starred alongside Cüneyt Arkın in the film "Maden" (The Mine). In an interview regarding the 1978 film, which received great attention, Akan had stated the following:

"(Maden) It was the most-watched film in Turkey at that time and the film from which I earned the most money. It is a film that was taken to every corner, even to the tops of mountains, to be screened by all unions and labor unions during that period. It is one of the films that clearly and explicitly underlines what unionism, labor, being a worker, labor, and capital are."

Akan, who also starred in the 1982 Palme d'Or-winning film "Yol," written by Yılmaz Güney and directed by Şerif Gören and Güney, played the lead role in the 1990 film "Karartma Geceleri," adapted from Rıfat Ilgaz's work of the same name.

Following the September 12, 1980 military coup, Tarık Akan was arrested upon his return to Turkey in early 1981 due to a speech he gave in Germany. The artist, who was tried with a demand for a 12-year prison sentence and received a 2.5-month solitary confinement sentence, was acquitted after his innocence was proven. Akan wrote about his prison days and the coup process in his book "Anne Kafamda Bit Var," published in 2002.

Akan, who also expanded into international cinema by acting in the Libyan-produced film "Leyla ile Mecnun," became one of the partners of the Taş Mektep primary school in Bakırköy in 1991 and took over the presidency of the "Nesin Foundation" after the death of Aziz Nesin in 1995.

The master artist also provided the narration for the documentary titled "Antika Talanı" (Antique Plunder), which he brought to life with director Yusuf Kurçenli in 1997.

The artist, who also signed his name to the documentary "Taşların Sırrı" (The Secret of the Stones) for television channels, sought to draw attention to ancient history in Turkey.

The artist also directed the documentaries "Atatürk'ün Alev Çiçekleri" (Atatürk's Flame Flowers) and "Işık Yontucusu" (The Sculptor of Light) on Nâzım Hikmet on behalf of the Nâzım Hikmet Culture and Art Foundation, as well as productions titled "Anadolu'da Romalıların Ayak İzleri" (Footprints of the Romans in Anatolia), "Afrodisias," and "Perge'nin Lahitleri" (The Sarcophagi of Perge).

The master actor won the "Best Actor" award at the Golden Orange for the first time in 1973 for his role in the film "Suçlu" (The Guilty), and subsequently won for his roles in "Maden" (The Mine) in 1978, "Adak" (The Offering) and "Sürü" (The Herd) in 1980, "Pehlivan" (The Wrestler) in 1984, "Üçüncü Göz" (The Third Eye) in 1989, "Karartma Geceleri" (Blackout Nights) in 1990, and "Gülüm" (Smile) in 2003. Thus, he became the only male actor to win the Golden Orange award 7 times.

The artist Akan won an honorable mention at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1985, "Best Actor" at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival in 1992, the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996, the "Honorary Award" from the Association of Cinema Writers in 2006, and the "Cinema Labor Award" from the Contemporary Cinema Actors Association in 2007.

The master actor, who had three children named Barış Zeki, Yaşar Özgür, and Özlem and donated his entire fortune to charitable foundations and organizations, passed away on September 16, 2016, at the hospital where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer.

Some of the films and series in which Tarık Akan starred during his 45-year career intertwined with art are as follows:

"Solan Bir Yaprak Gibi", "Beyoğlu Güzeli", "Ah Nerede", "Sev Kardeşim", "Mavi Boncuk", "Delisin", "Hababam Sınıfı", "Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı", "Leyla ile Mecnun", "Deli Deli Olma", "Ahh İstanbul", "Vizontele Tuuba", "Koçum Benim", "Abdülhamit Düşerken", "Aşk Üzerine Söylenmemiş Herşey", "Çözülmeler", "Yolcu", "Bir Kadın Düşmanı", "Devlerin Ölümü", "Bir Küçük Bulut", "İkili Oyunlar", "Kimlik", "Çark", "Skandal", "Halkalı Köle", "Beyoğlu'nun Arka Yakası", "Adem ile Havva", "Paramparça", "Kan", "Bir Avuç Cennet", "Pehlivan", "Kayıp Kızlar", "Damga", "Kuduz / Çocuklar Çiçektir", "Beyaz Ölüm", "Arkadaşım", "Yol", "Herhangi Bir Kadın", "Adak", "Sürü", "Maden", "Şeref Sözü", "Nehir", "Babanın Evlatları", "Kader Bağlayınca", "Aşk Dediğin Laf Değildir", "Çapkın Hırsız", "Evcilik Oyunu", "Ateş Böceği", "Ah Nerede", "Memleketim", "Esir Hayat", "Yalancı Yarim", "Oh Olsun", "Canım Kardeşim", "Bebek Yüzlü", "Tatlı Dillim", "Aşkların En Güzeli."