Story by Fran Winston
Beloved actor Serhat Klç was found dead at home on Saturday, September 5 at the age of 51. His girlfriend Özlem Esmergül, made the disturbing discovery after she hadn’t heard from him since Thursday, September 3. CNN Türk reported she called to his home, in the Nurtepe neighborhood of the Kathane district of Istanbul, around 5pm and after knocking and getting no answer, she went inside where she found his body sitting in an armchair in the living room. She called emergency services who declared him dead at the scene.
In a statement to police she revealed he had battling lymphoma, which is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells and the immune system. Authorities launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of death, and preliminary examinations revealed bruises around the eyes, arms, and legs. However, no open wounds or visible signs of violence were found on the body.
The actor came to prominence playing Cholak in the TV series Slovo. He also starred in The Eighties and Farewell.
One of the biggest hits of his career came in the film Hibernation, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, which was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014.
Tributes flooded in for the star as fans learned the sad news. On Facebook one user penned: “What a shame. I was expecting him to show up at the end of Osman. My condolences to his family and may he REST IN PEACE!!”
Another added: “Very heartbreaking! I am so sad to hear this! RIP!”
Serhat Klç sitting in a car with a large dog sitting upright beside him© NA
A third chimed in: “Oh, what a loss. Another star has faded from this world… He was one of the finest artists of our time. We truly embraced the roles he played in TV series and loved watching him. May God rest his soul.”
A fourth shared: “I’ve been watching this man since the series *Kirli Sepeti* and really love him; I am so, so saddened.”
A fifth commented: “Rest in peace legend. May jannatul firdaus be his final destination. Koses.”
Meanwhile a sixth reflected: “Noor Al-Bayan May Allah have mercy on him, forgive him, and make his grave a garden from the gardens of Paradise.”
