Tarñk Akan (born Tarñk Tahsin ÃÂregül; 13 December 1949 â 16 September 2016) was a Turkish film actor and producer, who started his activity in the 1965s.
Akan was born as Tarñk Tahsin ÃÂregül in Istanbul on 13 December 1949. He was the third child of the family after a daughter and a son. His family was constantly moving around Turkey due to his father's occupation in the military. Schooled in Erzurum, he completed the elementary education in Kayseri. Following his father's retirement, the family moved to Istanbul and settled in Bakñrköy. Akan attended Yñldñz Technical University to study mechanical engineering, graduated later from the College of Journalist.
Before he started his acting career, he worked as a lifeguard at beaches and at a boat renting place in Bakñrköy.
He completed his military service in Denizli in 1979.
He was jailed for two-and-half months with cell confinement following the 1980 Turkish coup d'état. A right-wing politics daily defamed him with a false news in the headline for a speech he allegedly addressed in Germany in early 1981, leading to a long court case demanding for 12 years imprisonment.
In 1986, he married Yasemin Erkut. He became father of a son, BarÃ±à  Zeki ÃÂregül, the same year. Two years later, twins, Yaà Âar ÃÂzgür, a son, and ÃÂzlem, a daughter, were born. The couple divorced in 1989.
His son BarÃ±à  Zeki began an acting career in 2009 with the film Deli Deli Olma, in which he played with his father and portrayed the young actor Tarñk Akan.
He entered a movie actor contest of the magazine Ses ("Voice"), and ended up runner up. He studied acting under the eye of famous Turkish film director Ertem EÃÂilmez (1929âÂÂ1989) and entered into the "list of unforgettables" with Hababam Sñnñfñ, Bizim Aile, Canñm Kardeà Âim.
He made his film debut in 1971 at the age of 21 in Solan Bir Yaprak Gibi, and adopted the stage name "Tarñk Akan". Between 1970 and 1975, in the heyday of Yeà Âilçam, he acted in 12 films a year in average. He appeared with his ex-girlfriend Emel Sayñn in "Mavi Boncuk", "Yalancñ Yarim", Hülya KoçyiÃÂit in "Sev Kardeà Âim", "Yeryüzünde Bir Melek", Filiz Akñn in Tatlñ Dillim, Necla Nazñr in "Delisin", "Ateà  BöceÃÂi".
At first, most of his roles were in romantic comedies and his partner is Gülà Âen BubikoÃÂlu in many films. Later in his career, he has taken on more political and dramatic roles. The first film of this genre was Nehir, in which he shared the role with Cüneyt Arkñn. Political films like Maden, Sürü, Yol and Kanal followed.
He acted in a total of 110 films, and won numerous awards from various festivals including Cannes and Berlin. He won an Honourable Mention at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival for his role in Pehlivan.
He also directed several productions such as documentaries and serials for television. In 2002, he published his first book Anne Kafamda Bit Var, a biography of his life and his time in prison.
In 1991, he took over the elementary school in Bakñrköy, in which he was educated, and transferred it to his own ÃÂzel Taà  Ã°lköÃÂretim Okulu.
In 2005, he became the chairman of the education-aimed "Nesin Foundation", succeeding Ali Nesin, the son of the founder Aziz Nesin. In his later years, he was served as chairman of the "Nazñm Hikmet Cultural and Arts Foundation".
Akan contracted lung cancer, and was in treatment for over one year. In the early hours of 16 September 2016, he died at the age of 66 in the intensive care station of a private hospital in Istanbul.
On 18 September, he was interred at Zuhuratbaba Cemetery in Bakñrköy following a memorial service held in Harbiye Muhsin ErtuÃÂrul Stage and the religious funeral service at Teà Âvikiye Mosque. The funeral was attended by thousands of people, his castmates, former President of Turkey Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the leader of the main opposition party Kemal KñlñçdaroÃÂlu.