Ahmet Gülhan is a Turkish theater and cinema artist who was born on May 26, 1940 in Kadıköy and died in Istanbul on November 3, 2025; He is also an athlete and theater director.
He founded Turkey's first cabaret theater, Devekuşu Kabare, in Istanbul in 1967, together with Haldun Taner, Metin Akpınar and Zeki Alasya, and in 1978 he founded Tef Kabare together with Haldun Taner. He became widely known for the character of the same name he played in the TV series "Susukli Şemsettin", which was broadcast on TRT in the 1980s.
After graduating from Tophane Men's Art School, Industrial Engine Department and Evening Technical School, Mechanical Department, Gülhan turned to sports, joined the Fenerbahçe Athletics Team and won the 400m and 400m disabled youth championships between 1957 and 1959; He was selected for the 1960 Olympic team.
During his student years, he was responsible for theater and sports activities as the President of the Executive Council of the National Turkish Student Union. After an actor got sick, he started his theater adventure by taking the stage in the play "Beyond the Walls". He stepped into the professional stage with the play "Taçra Kızı" in the touring theater he founded with Cahit Irgat upon Cahide Sonku's suggestion.
In 1965, he took part in Rıfat Ilgaz's play "Hababam Class" at the Ulvi Uraz Theatre, and then, while working as a reserve officer teacher in Mardin between 1965 and 1967, he staged seven plays at the Public Education Center and took part in three of them.
Gülhan, who took on managerial and organizational duties in the establishment of Devekuşu Kabare, traveled to Germany to learn this process closely, and made the transition from manager to director by directing the play "Astronaut Niyazi" in 1970.
The artist, who married the actress Gülümser Gülhan in 1974, founded the Tef Kabare, which directed the play "Noir Hopefully" in 1980, but the group was disbanded in 1981. He then worked at Dostlar Theater and did not appear on stage after 1986, but he staged plays such as "Demokrasi Gemisi" (1990), "Medya Medya Nereye" (2000) and "Matrak Ailem" (2004).
In his television productions, he produced programs such as "Suspicious Şemsettin", "For example Muzaffer", "Hak Dostum" (Ramadan program), "One Woman One Man"; In the 2000s, he also took part in TV series such as "We fell in love with you", "Sev Kardeşim", "Cümbür Cemaat Aile".
In his cinema career, he took part in films such as "The Man Who Paid for His Sin" (1969), "My Dear Babies" (1987), "Watercolor" (2009), "Yeni Hayat" (2015), "Çalgı Çengi İkimiz" (2016) and "My Brother" (2016).
He played an important role in the establishment of the theater actors union by contributing to professional organization in theatre.
