Cuneyt arkin ve turkan soray biography

The Ottoman Empire (that had been created in 1299 in Anatolia and in 1453 had conquered Constantinople and changed its name to Istanbul and had expanded in the Balkans) was rapidly declining at the turn of the 20th century. Historians point at the lost war of 1683-97 (and the following Treaty of Karlowitz) as the moment when the empire started shrinking. The winning powers (notably Austria, Poland and Russia) started chipping away at the Ottoman possessions in Europe. Greece gained independence in 1832. In 1878 the Ottomans were defeated in yet another war against Russia and the result was a treaty that granted Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria some degree of independence. The military defeats were just the symptoms. The disease ran deeper into Ottoman society as well as into its multi-ethnic fabric. The "Tanzimat" reforms promulgated by the sultans since 1839 had come to an abrupt halt in 1871. The Ottoman Empire had remained relatively static for four centuries, indifferent to the scientific revolution of Galileo and Newton and largely indifferent even to the industrial revolution. Financially, the empire was broke: in 1882, unable to pay interests on its debt, the empire had to accept a foreign debt administration, in 1905 there was even a famine, and in 1908 workers went on strike.

Istanbul, a European city, was the ultimate paradox of this Islamic state: in 1885 Istanbul's population was 873 thousand, making it one of the largest cities in the world, but the Christian and Jewish quarter of Galata was much richer than any of the Muslim quarters. The Ottoman Empire had a majority of Muslims, but sizeable minorities of Greeks (13%), Armenians (5%), Jews (1%) and Slavs (4%). The Muslims were mostly Turks, but also Arabs and Kurds. Three ethnic group represented a constant thorn in its side. The Jews started emigrating in 1885 from central and eastern Europe to Ottoman Palestine, and in 1

Legendary Turkish actor Cüneyt Arkın, 85, died of sudden cardiac arrest late Tuesday. Arkın was one of the veteran artists of Turkish cinema and appeared in more than 300 different movies throughout his acting career.

The famed actor portrayed a wide variety of characters – from an elegant gentleman to a Turkic warrior, space invader and police chief, in the blockbusters of Yeşilçam, the nickname given to classical Turkish cinema. We have compiled the most popular films and roles of the legendary actor who has always made a name for himself to remember him with respect and gratitude.

Introduction to cinema

Born Fahrettin Cüreklibatur on Sept. 8, 1937, to a villager family in western Turkey's Eskişehir province, Arkın, following his secondary and high school education, moved to Istanbul to attend the School of Medicine.

After his medical education, Arkın tried to become a short story writer and became friends with prominent poets, such as Cemal Süreya and Ülkü Tamer. While serving his military conscription in Eskişehir, he also met director Halit Refiğ, who introduced him to the cinema world. Following his military duty, he worked as a physician for some time. Then, he won a contest held by the Artist journal and thus, began his acting career.

Once he got into Turkish cinema, he was very prolific, working in 30 films in his first two years. Then, throughout the mid-1960s and 1970s, he shot to stardom and became a beloved artist among the movie-going public.

Memorable movies

The 1964 movie "Gurbet Kuşları" ("Birds of Exile"), telling the struggle of a family who migrated from Kahramanmaraş to Istanbul, introduced Arkın to Turkish cinema. One of the best movies of director Refiğ, "Gurbet Kuşları," is based on the Orhan Kemal novel with the same title. Social reality, immigration, working-class facts and the shattering of a family are the film's main issues. "Gurbet Kuşları" is