Yavuz Turgul, born on 5 April 1946 in Istanbul, is a screenwriter, director and producer. He completed his education at the Institute of Journalism of the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul University. He began his career in journalism before turning to screenwriting. In the late 1970s, he started his screenwriting career while working within Arzu Film.

Cinema Career

Turgul began his cinema career as a screenwriter and became one of the leading figures of Turkish cinema from the 1980s onward. He made his directorial debut in 1984 with the film Fahriye Abla. The 1987 film Muhsin Lord was regarded by critics as one of the masterpieces of Turkish cinema and attracted international attention. His 1996 film Eşkıya is considered one of the pivotal moments in Turkish cinema. The film rekindled audience interest in Turkish cinema, which had been experiencing declining viewership since the 1980s, and drew attention for both its box office success and narrative structure.

In the 2000s, the films he directed—Gönül Yarası (2004), Kabadayı (2007) and Av Mevsimi (2010)—stood out for their character-driven narratives and social backgrounds, despite belonging to different genres. The film he directed in 2017, Yol Ayrımı, became his final film in his cinema career.

Yavuz Turgul -Anadolu Agency

Screenwriting Career

In addition to his directing career, Turgul has written the screenplays for many important films. From the late 1970s onward, he worked within Arzu Film and produced works primarily in the comedy genre. He wrote the screenplays for films such as Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle (1981), Züğürt Ağa (1985) and Aile Kadını (1987).

Awards and Achievements

Throughout his career, Yavuz Turgul has won various awards at national and international festivals. Muhsin Bey (1987) received the Best Film award at the Istanbul Film Festival. Eşkıya (1996) achieved major box office success in Türkiye and was screened at several international festivals. In 2005, he was honored with the Cinema Achievement Award by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. In 2021, he received the SETEM Lifetime Achievement Award.

Filmography

As Director

• Fahriye Abla (1984)

• Muhsin Bey (1987)

• Love Filmlerinin Unutulmaz Yönetmeni (1990)

• Shadow Oyunu (1992)

• Eşkıya (1996)

• Gönül Yarası (2004)

• Kabadayı (2007)

• Av Mevsimi (2010)

• Yol Ayrımı (2017)

As Screenwriter

• Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle (1981)

• Züğürt Ağa (1985)

• Aile Kadını (1987)

• Arabesk (1988)

• Gölge Oyunu (1992)