17.01.2026 07:51
With the presidential decisions published in the Official Gazette, Bedri Tan Sağtürk has been dismissed from his position as the General Director of the State Opera and Ballet. Following Sağtürk's dismissal, no new appointment has been made to the General Directorate.
The "Presidential Decree" dated January 16, 2026, bearing the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been published.
TAN SAĞTÜRK REMOVED FROM OFFICE With the Presidential Decision numbered 2026/15 published in the Official Gazette, the General Director of the State Opera and Ballet, Bedri Tan Sağtürk, has been removed from office.
It was reported that Tan Sağtürk was removed from office in accordance with the fourth article of the Presidential Decree numbered 3.
Bedri Tan Sağtürk has been removed from office. NEW DEPUTY GENERAL DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED With the Presidential Decision numbered 2026/16 dated the same day, the Deputy General Director of the State Opera and Ballet, Ahmet Volkan Ersoy, has also been removed from office.
It was stated in the decision that Barış Salcan has been appointed to the vacant Deputy General Director position, while there was no information regarding who has been appointed to the General Directorate position.
The aforementioned decisions have come into effect with the signature of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
WHO IS TAN SAĞTÜRK? Born in 1969 in İzmir, Sağtürk is a ballet dancer and television actor. He is a graduate of the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory High Ballet Department. He has served as the principal dancer of the French Young Ballet Le Jeune Ballet De France, the French National Ballet Ballet National De France, and the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, and is the founder of ballet and dance schools in Diyarbakır, Mardin, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, and Cyprus.
He portrayed the character "Hakan" in the TV series "Bez Bebek" on Fox TV and appeared in TV commercials.
Tan Sağtürk was appointed as the General Director of the State Opera and Ballet on September 15, 2023.