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Turkish actress Ece Irtem, known for her roles in popular television dramas including "One Love," "Payitaht Abdulhamid" and "Kurulus Osman," was laid to rest in her hometown province of Aydin. She passed away in Istanbul following an illness.
The funeral ceremony was held at the Hanim Mosque in Kusadasi, a coastal district of Aydin in western Türkiye, where emotional scenes unfolded as mourners gathered to say farewell.
Her family, friends, colleagues and fans stood around the coffin, while her mother, Nuriye Irtem, and father, Vural Irtem, accepted condolences. The ceremony also drew attention after some people were seen filming and taking photos near the coffin with mobile phones, prompting criticism over respect for the grieving family.
After procedures at the Forensic Medicine Institute, a state body that carries out post-mortem examinations in Türkiye, Irtem's body was received by her father and brought to the Hanim Mosque.
The ceremony brought together many people from the entertainment world as well as local residents. Her mother reportedly became unwell during the funeral, while her father stayed beside his daughter's coffin throughout the ceremony.
Following the funeral prayer, Irtem was buried at the Yenikoy Cemetery.
The funeral also drew attention after some people were seen filming and photographing the coffin with their mobile phones. The incident went viral on social media and sparked criticism, with mourners describing the scene as disrespectful to the grieving family.
Actor Gurkan Uygun said he had exchanged work-related messages with Irtem just three days before her death and had met her a week earlier.
Caglar Kuru, a university friend of Irtem, said she was full of life and didn't have any known health problems. He added that he did not believe some of the claims being made after her death.
He said they had spent time together about a month earlier and described her as a loving, energetic, happy, hardworking and determined person.
"I cannot find the words. She was a person whose heart was full of love, energy and happiness. Living through this pain is truly very sad. May God give patience to her mother, father and brother," Kuru said.
He also said Irtem had plans for new projects and was looking ahead to her career with motivation.
Ece Irtem was born in Sivas on June 14, 1991, and began her arts education in Izmir. After university, she moved to Istanbul to pursue acting and took theater and stage classes at the Sadri Alisik Kultur Merkezi.
During her career, she appeared in several well-known Turkish TV series, including "One Love" (Kizilcik Serbeti), "Yeni Gelin," "Kertenkele," "Payitaht Abdulhamid," "Zumruduanka," "Kurulus Osman" and "Mahkum."
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