Born in 1931 in Bursa. He began his career in cinema in 1949 as a film editor and assistant director. Up until the 1950s he assisted Orhan Arıburnu with Sürgün / Exile and assisted Atıf Yılmaz, Abdurahman Palay, and Memduh Ün. At the same time, he was studying at Kabataş High School and playing basketball for the national team. In 1959 he began directing with Kanlı Sevda / Bloody Love. His first important release was of Vedat Türkali's screenplay Otobüs Yolcuları / Passengers on a Bus (1961). In 1964 he directed Karanlıkta Uyananlar / Awakening in the Darkness which was his first film about workers and labour issues. In 1970 with Pamuk Prenses ve Yedi Cüceler / Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs a new era of fairy tales in Turkish cinema began. He has directed nearly 100 films, including short documentaries, educational films, and news films.