Veteran actor, director, educator, and playwright Haldun Dormen passed away at the age of 97 in a hospital in Istanbul where he was receiving treatment.
Haldun Dormen's son, Ömer Dormen, announced his father's passing on social media with the following message: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my beloved father, Haldun Dormen. I extend my condolences to everyone who knew, loved, and whose lives he touched. May he rest in peace."
The first ceremony for the master artist will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 10:30 AM, at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage, in accordance with his wishes.
Following the memorial ceremony, Dormen's body will be taken to the Teşvikiye Mosque. After the funeral prayer following the noon prayer, Haldun Dormen will be laid to rest in the family cemetery at Edirnekapı Martyrs' Cemetery.
Mavi Boncuk |
Haldun Dormen in The Bourgeois Gentleman, playing the role of Monsieur Jourdain
Ahmet Haldun Dormen (5 April 1928 – 21 January 2026) was a Turkish theater, movie and TV series actor and film director, playwright, and translator. Dormen was of Turkish Cypriot descent. His father Sait Ömer Bey was a Cypriot businessman, while
his mother Nimet Rüştü Hanım was the daughter of a pasha from Istanbul. His
family settled in Şişli before Dormen's first birthday. He had his first acting
experience on stage as a junior high school student at the Galatasaray High
School, portraying a character in a play titled Demirbank.
He finished his
education at the Robert College. At the age of eight, his left foot was injured
due to an accident.
---------------------------------
When he learned that two young college graduates, Şirin Devrim and Tunç Yalman, were studying theater at Yale University, he set a goal for himself.
With recommendation letters from his teachers, he managed to get accepted to the school. A more difficult test awaited him: convincing his family…
"I have more energy than anyone else for the profession I love."
His father was on a business trip in the US. He sat down and wrote him a long letter. "My ideal is to study production for three years in the Dramatic Arts department at Yale University in America, in order to establish a good and valuable film industry in Türkiye," the letter said.
"I am absolutely certain that I will succeed one day. I have more energy than anyone else for the profession I love. I don't accept that an honest and hardworking person cannot fully succeed.
"I intend to create a proper artistic community in Türkiye. Then Turks will no longer have to call certain scoundrels artists."
The reply he received, in Dormen's own words, was "the most beautiful letter in the world."
"Be what you want to be, but be the best, promise me," wrote Sait Dormen.
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He founded the Dormen Theatre in 1955. In 1961, he directed Irma la Douce, the first Western musical staged in Türkiye. In the 1980s, he staged musicals such as Hisseli Harikalar Kumpanyası and Şen Sazın Bülbülleri, produced by Egemen Bostancı. In 1985, his production of Lüküs Hayat at the Istanbul City Theatres ran continuously for 30 years, usually to sold-out audiences.
In 1959, Dormen married Betül Mardin, a world-renowned figure in public relations, and they had a son named Ömer from this eight-year marriage.
A short excerpt from an interview with Haldun Dormen and İnci Pirinçcioğlu, conducted in America in 1953 and published in "Resimli 20. Asır Mecmuası, June 11, 1953, Issue: 44":
"This desire had been living within me for years. In fact, when I returned to Turkey, my greatest goal was to establish a new theater to develop the artistic life of my country. How happy I would be if I could be useful to my country in this field. I started the preparations for the theater I established in America (Serenac Lake) in the year I graduated. As you can appreciate, securing the necessary capital for such an undertaking, finding a suitable theater building, and establishing a serious working team was not easy. Three-quarters of the capital was provided by the people of Serenac Lake, who wanted a summer theater to be established in this charming resort town. We, the artists, contributed the remaining quarter, and we established a joint-stock company. We performed nine plays throughout the summer and attracted great interest in the surrounding area. I can say that our earnings were not bad at all for a start. I directed four of these nine plays, and I also acted in seven of them."
Full version of the interview published in the illustrated 20th Century Magazine:
"Haldun Dormen, who succeeded in establishing a theater in northern New York last summer after studying directing at Yale University in America, says that he intends to return to his homeland at the first opportunity and establish a brand new theater there, and that he will cooperate sincerely with our young artists.
A salon furnished with low, modern furniture. A bar in the corner, soft music, and dim, reddish lights... The walls are decorated with paintings by Picasso, Orozco, and Lautrec. This is a corner of the "Village," the artists' district." "The Village" is perhaps a neighborhood in New York where the richest and the poorest live side by side, but there's a common bond among these people: art! (...)
I'm invited to a party in "The Village." We arrive a little late, and the atmosphere is already quite lively... on one side, couples are dancing cheek to cheek, on the other, young people are leaning against the bar, chatting with drinks in their hands... some of the guests are even lying on the soft carpets on the floor... everyone is in high spirits.
Just then, applause erupted from one end of the hall. In the middle stood a dark-haired, tall, elegant young woman, surrounded by two truly handsome blond young men and a black-bearded painter, shouting, "We want it, we want it!" Everyone's eyes turned in that direction; then one of the blond young men announced their request to the crowd: "We are asking Doli to perform one of the roles she played in a play." The entire audience began to applaud the idea and Doli herself. The young woman, pleased with the attention, stepped forward and, after thanking her friends, said: "I am ready to perform one of my favorite roles, a scene from Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew,' which we performed at Serenac Lake last summer; but you will understand that I cannot perform this scene alone. If our esteemed director and fellow actor, Dormen, would help me, we could present you with one of the most crucial scenes from the play."
Applause started again, and all eyes turned to the young man named Dormen. In the corner at the far end of the bar, leaning against the wall, was a young man with light brown hair... Before I could even think, "I remember that face very well; did I see him in a movie or something?", the young man, with a sweet smile on his face, moved towards the center of the hall. Now I could see his face more clearly. Ah... this is our Haldun, yes, Haldun Dormen, a Turkish young man... His surname sounds so much like an American name that I couldn't immediately tell he was Turkish. (...)
The people in the room are applauding Haldun... Treating a corner of the room as a stage, Haldun Dormen and the tall, dark-haired beauty Dolly Davis begin to perform one of the most famous scenes from the play. Both of them act with a very natural and confident demeanor. Their voice tones and facial expressions are perfect...
To be honest, I'm more interested in Haldun than the young woman; well done, Haldun!
Finally, the scene ends, and everyone applauds and thanks the young artists with appreciative words, surrounding them... especially the young girls, who all gather around Haldun. (...)
Finally, Haldun is free. I walk towards him and say in Turkish:
- Hello Haldun, congratulations, you were very good. (...)
Haldun and I move to one side. I repeat to him that I had heard from his American friend a little while ago and ask the young Turkish artist for information about his studies at Yale, his theater in Saranac Lake, and his plans in Istanbul.
- Even while I was in college, I had a great love for the theater. By the time I reached my senior year, I had decided to choose theater as my profession. I must admit that I had difficulty convincing my family of my desire; but finally, they agreed, and in 1949 I came to Yale University to study acting and directing. I attended school during the winters, and I wanted to work in the practical field during the summers. Indeed, I got this opportunity in 1950. By participating in a competition held in Hollywood, I managed to get into the Pasadena Playhouse. I played the lead role in three of the five plays I acted in.
- So, where did the idea of founding a theater come from?
- Oh, the idea of founding a theater...
This desire had been living within me for years. In fact, when I returned to Turkey, my greatest goal was to establish another theater to contribute to the development of the arts in my country. I would be so happy if I could be useful to my homeland in this field. I started the preparations for the theater I founded in America the year I graduated. As you can imagine, securing the necessary capital for such an undertaking, finding a suitable theater building, and assembling a serious working team was not easy. Three-quarters of the capital was provided by the residents of Serenac Lake, who wanted a summer theater established in this charming resort town. We, the artists, contributed the remaining quarter, and we formed a joint-stock company. We performed nine plays throughout the summer and attracted a great deal of interest in the area. I can say that our initial earnings were not bad at all. I directed four of these nine plays, and I also acted in seven of them. (...)
After wishing Haldun success for this summer, I asked him to talk a little about his future projects.
- (...) My intention is to establish a new theater in Istanbul and apply American theater techniques and artistic understanding in my country... (...) Another ambition of mine is to include famous translated works in my theater, but also to utilize original plays and, in particular, to encourage young Turkish playwrights in this field and stage their works. I believe that a true Turkish theater can only be established and progress in this way. "...another of my wishes is to take a successful play from Istanbul, with the same cast, on tour to various Anatolian provinces and increase interest in theater throughout the country..."
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