Biography
Ozan Akbaba was born on 9 June 1982 in Kars into a Terekeme (Karapapak) family from Benliahmet village in the Selim district. He studied interior architecture and environmental design at Akdeniz University. As a boy he worked as a cook’s helper and a carpenter to pay for karate lessons and theatre. He began acting professionally in 2005 in Kırık Kanatlar after years of theatre, voice work and commercials.
His breakthrough was İlyas Çakırbeyli in atv’s Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz (2015 to 2021), which he played for 199 episodes. He then led the medical drama Kasaba Doktoru and played Emiraslan Gardaşov in Ben Bu Cihana Sığmazam. He also writes screenplays and composes film scores.
Since 2024 he has played Cihan Albora, head of the Albora family, in Kanal D‘s Uzak Şehir; its third season premiered on 14 September 2026. He married the producer Buket Arıkan on 1 July 2017 and they have a son, Ozan Ali. In 2025 he and co-star Sinem Ünsal were named TV Couple of the Year at the TV Yıldızları Awards.
