Mehmet Birkiye worked as a stage instructor at Istanbul University State Conservatory from 1986 to 2011. Birkiye received his proficiency in art from the same university and became an associate professor and professor. He worked as an actor and director at Kent Oyuncuları from 1971 to 2011. He directed nearly 30 plays in public and private theatres such as Kent Oyuncuları, Tiyatro Gerçek, Istanbul State Theatre, Tiyatro Pangar, Istanbul Municipal Theatre. He worked as Yıldız Kenter’s assistant director in many plays. After leaving Istanbul University State Conservatory, he founded the Department of Drama and Acting at Istanbul Aydın University in 2008. He is still the head of the department and continues to act and direct. Birkiye has taken part in nearly 40 theatre plays and various cinema-TV projects throughout his acting career and received numerous theatre awards both as an actor and director.

Mehmet Birkiye recently participated in the Istanbul Theatre Festival with Cherry Orchard, which he directed at Kocaeli City Theatre in 2021, and the Theatre Gerçek production of Richard III: Why I Did It?. In June 2023, he participated in the Theatre Olympics held in Budapest with a work he directed at Istanbul Aydın University Drama and Acting Department within the framework of the Imre Madach project.