Hakan Karahan

Hakan Karahan — Biography

Born in Istanbul in 1960, Hakan Karahan is a multifaceted figure who combines writing, poetry, songwriting, screenwriting, producing, and acting; he uses the pen name Sinan in some of his work. He has written numerous song lyrics for singer Candan Erçetin, his partner of more than three decades, and the couple remained together as of 2026.

Before turning to the arts, Karahan built a serious business career: after studying Business Administration at the University of Miami, he held management roles at Du Pont de Nemours in Geneva, at companies within Sabancı Holding, and in capital markets and insurance at Ak Menkul Değerler.

He made his acting debut in the 2006 series Sağır Oda, and served as producer on the films Gölgesizler (The Shadowless) and Kaptan Feza, in which he also appeared. He went on to take roles in Ateşin Düştüğü Yer, Takip: İstanbul, and Kaçak, played Ragıp Tolunay in the television series Zeytin Tepesi, and portrayed Özer in the long-running series Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz. He also played Lakmu across both seasons of Şahmaran (2023-2024).