Turkish theater actor Nejat Uygur’s funeral held in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Actor Nejat Uygur’s funeral held at Cemal Reşit Rey Saloon stage in Istanbul. AA photo

Turkey’s prominent theater actor Nejat Uygur’s funeral held Nov. 20 at Cemal Reşit Rey Saloon in Istanbul and was attended by many people, including Istanbul Governer Kadir Topbaş and Şişli mayor Mustafa Sarıgül, attended the funeral.

Uygur’s wife Necla Uygur, sons Süheyl, Süha, Ahmet, Kemal and Behzat Uygur were also at the funeral.

After a one minute stand in silence, short films were screened for the crowd depicting Uygur’s life.

Kadir Topbaş said, “Today another star of the art world has faded away. Many good things can be said about him. He was a very nice man and he had a really important part in our lives. He transferred his art to the next generation.”

Uygur was born in 1927. The second child of an army officer father and a schoolteacher mother, Uygur was born in Kilis near the Syrian border. Nejat Uygur was the middle child of his family. Going for the comedy side, he chose to make people laugh. After his 13 year Anatolian Tour, he had five children Süheyl, Süha, Ahmet, Kemal and Behzat. He received the State Artist title in 1998 for his performances on tour.

Uygur received many awards for drama and he acted in many famous Turkish films. Uygur suffered paralysis in 2007, stemming from cerebral embolism. He was married with five children. Uygur was one of the most productive and important actors in Turkish theater. After his death, Uygur’s fans and many theater actors and actresses visited his family at the hospital.