Who is Kartal Tibet? Life and key facts

Kartal Tibet (27 March 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Turkish actor, academic, director, screenwriter and producer.

A prominent lead actor of classic films in the Turkish cinema, he played a wide range of characters in various genres, including drama, comedy in around 120 films and 30 theatre plays. He started acting and dubbing at the age of eleven. Between 1955 and 1960, he studied at theatre department and its advanced theatre studies program at Ankara State Conservatory.

He appeared in many films based on novels like Senede Bir Gün, Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu, Ölmeyen Aşk, Çalıkuşu, Hıçkırık. Also, he has film series Tarkan, Karaoğlan based on historical comic books, comedy film series Bitirim Kardeşler, child film series Yumurcak.

He then worked as an actor alongside female stars such as Hülya Koçyiğit, Fatma Girik, Türkan Şoray, Filiz Akın. He was assistant director of Ertem Eğilmez’s classic comedy films Hababam Sınıfı, Süt Kardeşler, Şaban Oğlu Şaban. He continues as director in other films of Hababam Sınıfı. His directorial debut was the classic comedy film Tosun Paşa.

Kemal Sunal and Şener Şen movies were written and directed by Kartal Tibet and were produced by actress Hülya Koçyiğit. Kartal Tibet directed in many classic films and hit tv series.

He worked as an actor and director in Ankara State Theatre and State Theatres in other cities, Meydan Sahne, Dormen Theatre, Radio Child Theatre. In 1961, He founded first private theatre “Meydan Sahne” in Ankara. He performed plays like Caligula, A Midsummer Night's Dream, La Bonne Soupe, The Poker Session.

He studied law and later sports education in college but did not pursue a career in either field. Tibet was a great basketball player. Although Yalçın Granit wanted him to join national youth basketball team, he left his basketball career. In 1963, Kartal Tibet and Gündüz Kartal married. They have a son named Kanat and a daughter named Kumru.

He is the stepfather of actor Civan Canova who is the son of theater teacher Mahir Canova and Gündüz Kartal. In 1980s, Kartal Tibet's one kidney was removed. On 1 July 2021, he died in Istanbul, aged 82. He was buried at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery on 3 July 2021.