EastEnders’ most ardent fans, who’ve followed the show since its inception in 1985, are sure to remember Haluk Bilginer – he starred as Mehmet Osman in the BBC soap’s early days
EastEnders: Ali and Mehmet sing in the Queen Vic in old episode
It’s finally here – EastEnders’ long-awaited 40th anniversary week, when the hit BBC soap reaches the peak of its celebrations. A special live episode on Thursday, 20 February, will see Denise Fox (Diane Parish) finally choose between her husband, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), and her lover, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), in a decision that will be made – in a first for the show – by the voting public.
The cast and crew have been preparing for the huge anniversary milestone for a while now, with several iconic cast members returning, including Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves), Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) and Phil Mitchell’s infamous brother Grant, played by Ross Kemp. Meanwhile, in attempt to give some insight into Phil’s complicated back story, he’s come face-to-face with his ‘mum’, Peggy (Jamie Winstone), in a disturbing series of hallucinations.
But two characters who aren’t thought to be returning to join the festivities are Ali Osman and his brother, Mehmet, played in the 1980s by Nejdet Salih and Haluk Bilginer. Haluk joined the EastEnders cast early on, portraying Mehmet from 1985 to 1989. His character was brought to the fledgling soap by writers Tony Holland and Julia Smith to represent London’s growing Turkish Cypriot community.
One of Mehmet’s most unforgettable moments in Albert Square was his duet with Ali at The Queen Vic pub, where they performed the lively Turkish song Oy Oy Emine. In another scene at the Vic, he was struck by Mary the Punk after he attempted to kiss her, reports OK!. Sadly, both stars were abruptly written out of the goings-on in Albert Square when the writers exited the show.
While Nejdet’s acting career seemed to plateau after leaving EastEnders, Haluk’s didn’t. He continued acting and looked completely unrecognisable from his Walford days when he returned to TV last year in the starring role of The Turkish Detective. Stepping into the shoes of Detective Cetin Ikmen in the new BBC2 series last July, he sported a bushy, grey beard and starred alongside Yasemin Allen, who played Cetin’s female counterpart, Detective Ayse Farsakoglu.
Haluk’s Instagram account also shows him in a completely different light to the young Mehmet from EastEnders. In one image, taken back in 2021, he has long, wild hair and the same grey beard, with a photo that he captioned: “IS BALLET A SPORT???” Another picture, taken just before Christmas last year, reveals him to be in New York, as he smilingly poses for a selfie on the streets with a group of people on the street.
The Turkish Detective was created for TV by American film company Miramax, and inspired by English author Barbara Nadel’s The Cetin Ikmen Crime Novels. While Nadel’s version stretches across 24 novels, the tale was condensed into eight episodes for viewers. Ethan Kai, recognised for his portrayal of Kasim in Emmerdale from 2016 to 2017 and his stint in BBC’s spy thriller Killing Eve, also joined the cast.
Haluk’s acting credentials after EastEnders are impressive. In 1992, he and his then-wife Zuhal Olcay secured roles in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. After moving back to his native Turkey and starring in a host of films there, they even set up their own theatre. Despite taking a break from English-language films for some time, Haluk made a comeback in 2009 with the American thriller The International, where he took on the role of high-tech missile guidance system dealer, Ahmet Sunay.
He also featured as Dr Ranbir Sartain, the new psychiatrist of Michael Myers, in the 2018 horror sequel Halloween. In 2014, he clinched the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Winter Sleep, and in 2018, he bagged an Emmy for Best Performance by an Actor for his portrayal of Agah Beyoglu in the Turkish crime drama Sahsiyet (Persona).