Haluk Bilginer is back on our screens in the BBC's hit crime drama, The Turkish Detective, which follows Inspector Çetin Ikmen and his team as they solve crimes across Turkey.
The 70-year-old actor is a familiar face to many thanks to his role as Mehmet Osman in EastEnders back in the 1980s. But how much do you know about his life away from the cameras? Find out more about his career and two marriages here…
Haluk Bilginer's acting career
Haluk was one of the original cast members of EastEnders, having played Mehmet Osman from the year of its inception in 1985 to 1989.
In 1992, Haluk moved back to Turkey permanently, having spent several years dividing his time between London and Istanbul.
© BBC/ParamountAfter a period of starring in Turkish plays, films and TV shows, Haluk returned to British television as a guest star in an episode of Spooks, in which he played Emre Celenk in season three. He later starred in the 2009 action thriller film, The International, as a Turkish high-tech missile guidance system dealer opposite Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.
Since then, he's appeared in more American and British productions, including 2018's Halloween film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and in Prime Video's spy series, Alex Rider.
In 2019, Haluk won Turkey's first-ever International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor for his portrayal of Agah in the Turkish series Şahsiyet.
© JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockHis latest role is in the BBC's hit crime show, The Turkish Detective. The eight-parter, which is based on Barbara Nadel's Inspector Ikmen's novels, follows a police detective working in the homicide unit in Istanbul.
Haluk Bilginer's marriages to movie stars
For almost a decade, Haluk was married to Turkish actress and singer Zuhal Olcay, who began her career as a stage actress before going on to star in various Turkish films.
The couple met on the set of the 1987 TV show, Gecenin Öteki Yüzü (The Other Side of the Night), and tied the knot five years later in 1992. They went on to guest star in the American adventure series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
© @zuolcay/InstagramIn 1990, Haluk and Zuhal joined forces and set up a theatre together. Sadly, six years later the theatre was destroyed by a fire, prompting Haluk to take on more TV and film roles to raise money for another theatre.
In 2004, the pair decided to go their separate ways and two years later, Haluk married singer and actress Aşkın Nur Yengi.
© Frans Schellekens/RedfernsAşkın is famed in Turkey for her successful music career and has also appeared in a handful of Turkish shows.
During their eight-year marriage, the couple welcomed a daughter Nazlı, who was born in 2006.
