Cengiz Bozkurt

Personal context

Summary

Cengiz Bozkurt is a Turkish actor best known for the surreal comedy series Leyla ile Mecnun and for playing memorable comic and character roles in film and television. He has said he has been politically active since his teens and comes from a left-wing tradition that imagines a more just, equal, free and inclusive Turkey, regardless of people’s language, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or sect. He spoke publicly at a May Day gathering in 2019 and is the founding president of Dayanışma Gönüllüleri Derneği, which organizes disaster-response and solidarity work. His public record includes political and equality-focused statements, alongside sustained community organizing.