Mehmet Özgür

Mehmet Özgür — Biography

Mehmet Özgür was born on 30 August 1970 in the Korkuteli district of Antalya and graduated from Istanbul University's Theatre Department. He began his artistic life in 1988 through a theatre event he attended during a language course in Antalya, intensified his work at Antalya Halkevi the following year, and joined Antalya State Theatre in 1993; he now serves as general art director of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Theatre and has also directed several plays.

He first appeared on camera in 2004, and became known for playing police chief Necip Yılmaz in Kollama (2008-2011) before gaining major fame as Takoz İrfan in Suskunlar (2012), the first Turkish drama sold to the US market for a remake. He went on to play Lütfi Pasha in Muhteşem Yüzyıl, Seyfettin in Çalıkuşu, and Kadı Gıyaseddin Hatemi in Filinta; he portrayed Mehmet Akif Ersoy, author of the Turkish national anthem, in Ya İstiklal Ya Ölüm, and played Nizâmülmülk in both Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu and Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu. In 2025 he took the roles of Osman Maçari in Gözleri KaraDeniz and Orhan Basmacıgil in the Disney+ series Sekizinci Aile, and joined the cast of ATV's Mercan Köşk in 2026.