Tarık Akan was commemorated on the 76th anniversary of his birth

Having starred in 120 films that left their mark on Turkish cinema such as "Sev Kardeşim", "Mavi Boncuk", "Ah Nerede", "Deniz", "Hababam Sınıfı", "Sürü" and "Maden", the tall, handsome leading man of Yeşilçam, a patriotic intellectual etched in our memories: Tarık Akan ... Artist Tarık Akan, who bid farewell to life on September 16, 2016, was commemorated on the 76th anniversary of his birth with the " A Life on the Illuminated Screen: Tarık Akan " event organized at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Beyoğlu Cinema with the contributions of Private Taş Primary Education Institutions, Nâzım Hikmet Foundation (NHV) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The commemoration was attended by many, including Akan's children, Özlem Üregül Akkaya and Barış Zeki Üregül ; the artist Onur Akın ; the artist Anıl Ilgaz , Rıfat Ilgaz's grandson; and Brigadier General Naim Babüroğlu. The evening began with a screening of a video. A musical ensemble composed of teachers, alumni, and students from Özel Taş Primary School, founded by Akan, performed on stage with their songs.

"A MUSTAFA KEMAL, A NAZIM HİKMET" A video introducing Tarık Akan, who contributed numerous works to our country's cinema, was shown at the evening hosted by actor Necmi Yapıcı . Speaking at the evening, Özcan Arca , Deputy Chairman of the Nazım Hikmet Culture and Arts Foundation, said, "There were four important things in our dear Tarık Akan's life: His family, cinema, the Stone Schools, and the Nazım Hikmet Foundation... He accomplished very important things by working heroically at our foundation. Tarık Akan transformed from the handsome leading man of Ses magazine into a great filmmaker, a great actor, and a great thinker. This transformation has a beautiful story. This didn't happen by chance. He wholeheartedly believed in the Enlightenment. He was someone who knew how crucial it was to follow the path blazed by Mustafa Kemal in Turkey. He used to say, ' There is a Mustafa Kemal and a Nazım Hikmet in my life .'"

'Greetings to İlhan Selçuk and Türkan Saylan' Onur Akın , who performed the song "Selam Söyle Tarık Akan" that he wrote for Tarık Akan, said, "I feel safe here; among Tarık Akan's friends, among those who look at life like him... He was my childhood hero, and later, I had the chance to be a parent at his school. I had the chance to be brothers with the most magnificent person in the world. He was a man of very different values, a great revolutionary, a devotee of education, a true Atatürkist, a lover of Nazım Hikmet . Whatever he did, he did genuinely, lived with conviction and honor. Only through him could I send my greetings to Yaşar Kemals , İlhan Selçuks , and Türkan Saylans ... When he passed away, I composed a folk song as a souvenir of his brother. I said, 'Say hello Tarık Akan,' and I hope it reached me."

"DESPITE ALL THE DIFFICULTIES, THEY PUT THEIR THOUGHTS OUT THERE THROUGH ART" Özlem Üregül Akkaya, daughter of Tarık Akan and Chair of the Board of Directors of Taş College , began her speech by thanking the individuals and students who contributed to the commemoration. She said, "Tarık Akan and Nazım Hikmet were valuable artists who illuminated their eras and the aftermath. Although they lived in different periods, they have many things in common. I realized this again with a book I read recently. Hıfzı Topuz novelized Nazım Hikmet's life in his book, 'The Air Is Heavy Like Lead,' and there I realized again that their lives have many things in common. For example, despite all the difficulties, they expressed their thoughts through their art and became the voice of the people. They showed us the way; they fought for people and humanity. They both had the same love and hope for their homeland. But the common point behind all of this was love. Nazım Hikmet conveyed his love for his country, his love for people, and his love for life to us through his poems. Tarık Akan also He transferred this love to us by transforming it into his art and films. The greatest gratitude we can give to Tarık Akan is to continue his legacy,” he said. The event ended after a musical concert prepared by the students and graduates of Özel Taş College, which Akan founded.