Veteran Turkish actor Zihni Göktay dies aged 81

ISTANBUL

Veteran Turkish actor Zihni Göktay died on July 5 at the age of 81 after being hospitalized following a decline in his health.

The news of Göktay’s death saddened Türkiye’s arts community. He had been living in a nursing home after losing his wife, Sevinç Göktay, three years ago.

His daughter, Zeynep Göktay Dilbaz, announced his passing in a social media post.

“Despite the growing health problems he faced after suffering a hip fracture during a theater tour in Ankara at the beginning of the year, he never lost his joy for life, his curiosity about those around him or his hope of returning to the stage and reuniting with the audience he loved so much,” she wrote.

“He was embraced with great affection by his audience, his loved ones and everyone whose life he touched. On behalf of our father, we sincerely thank everyone who showed their care, called, asked about him and stood by his side during this process,” she added.

Born in Istanbul on Dec. 2, 1945, Göktay graduated from Pertevniyal High School. He worked at Ankara Meydan Sahnesi from 1964 to 1973 before joining the Istanbul City Theaters, where he performed in 72 productions.

In addition to his theater career, Göktay provided voice work for numerous films and appeared in popular Turkish productions including “Tosun Paşa,” “Meraklı Köfteci,” “Atla Gel Şaban,” “Fahriye Abla,” “Hababam Sınıfı Merhaba” and “Hababam Sınıfı Askerde.”

He was also widely recognized for his performance in the operetta “Lüküs Hayat,” which brought him nationwide acclaim.