Turgay Tanülkü was born in 1953 in Uşak, Turkey. He graduated from the Theatre High School of Ankara State Conservatory in 1976 and started his career at Ankara State Theatre the same year. In the 1970-71 academic year, he attended the drama courses at the Theatre Academy in Leningrad and received training in psychomimetics.
Tanülkü went on to establish theatre groups for the blind, children's homes, and prisons across Turkey, with the aim of spreading the power of theatre to marginalized communities. He is still actively involved with these groups and continues to work with them.
In addition to his work with these groups, Tanülkü has also taught acting and stage techniques at Dokuz Eylül University's Theatre Department from 1987 to 1989. He received the International Reji Award in Konya in 1984 and the Peace Award from the German Green Party for his work on the plays "Laws and People" and "Guests" performed by the inmates of Ankara Half-Open Prison.
Throughout his career, Tanülkü has also been involved in numerous film, television, and voice-over projects. He remains a member of the State Theatres' Artist roster.
