Nuri Bilge Ceylan to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Ceylan fans. Speculation had been rife that the Turkish director best known for the movie About Dry Grasses, is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 67, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/07/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouNuri Bilge

For a little while on Monday evening, #ThankYouNuri Bilge was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Nuri Bilge Ceylan was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouNuri Bilge”
— @universalObserver, 20 Jul 2026

“Ceylan wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 20 Jul 2026

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