Birkan Uzun, born on June 29, 1993, in Famagusta, was a Turkish Cypriot mountaineer. Growing up in the Güzelyurt region and graduating from the Turkish Maarif College, Uzun moved to the United States in 2011. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Later, he relocated to Seattle and worked as a software engineer specializing in healthcare products at Amazon. Besides mountaineering, he was also involved in skiing and ice climbing.
His interest in mountaineering began during his university years. While residing in the state of Washington, Uzun undertook various climbs. In 2016, he set a goal to become the first Cypriot (and the first Turkish Cypriot) to climb all Seven Summits and began working towards this by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He climbed Mount Elbrus in 2017, Aconcagua in 2018, and Denali in 2019. In March 2021, he discussed mountaineering projects with the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar.
On December 16, 2021, Uzun became the first Cypriot to climb Mount Vinson, Antarctica's highest peak, where he unfurled the flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at the summit. His plan included climbing Mount Everest in 2022 and Carstensz Pyramid in 2023.
Tragically, on December 31, 2021, while skiing on Bachelor Mountain, he fell into a tree well (a depression formed under branches due to lack of snowfall). Found unconscious by patrols in the afternoon and transported to the hospital, Uzun passed away. Following his death, Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu, President Ersin Tatar, and Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay expressed their condolences. His funeral took place on January 10, 2022, in Nicosia. In his memory, the highest peak in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was named Selvili Tepe. Click to view Birkan Uzun's speech.
