Kadir Inanır, one of the most celebrated actors of Türkiye's Yeşilçam era, died Friday at the age of 77 after weeks in intensive care battling pneumonia and other serious health complications.
The veteran actor had been rushed to the hospital after suddenly falling ill in recent weeks.
The 77-year-old artist, who had long struggled with serious health issues, was admitted to the intensive care unit. He had been receiving treatment for pneumonia and was later placed on a ventilator after being intubated.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the first to pay tribute to Inanır, saying he was "deeply saddened" by the death of one of Turkish cinema's master actors and extending his condolences to the veteran actor's family, loved ones and the artistic community. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, Environment Minister Murat Kurum and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also mourned Inanır's passing, honoring his lasting legacy in Turkish cinema and offering condolences to his family and fans.
Born on April 15, 1949, in the Black Sea town of Fatsa in Ordu province, Inanır was the youngest of 14 siblings. After completing his early education in his hometown, he moved to Istanbul for high school and later graduated from what is now Marmara University's Faculty of Communication.
His journey into acting began in the late 1960s after reaching the finals of Ses magazine's acting competition and winning Saklambaç newspaper's photo-novel contest in 1968. He made his screen debut with a minor role in Yedi Adım Sonra before landing his breakthrough leading role opposite Türkan Şoray in Atıf Yılmaz's 1970 film Kara Gözlüm.
The film launched Inanır into stardom, making him one of the leading men of Turkish cinema. Throughout his career, he worked with some of the country's most acclaimed directors, including Atıf Yılmaz, Ömer Kavur, Şerif Gören and Memduh Ün, while sharing the screen with stars such as Türkan Şoray, Fatma Girik, Hülya Koçyiğit, Cüneyt Arkın and Tarık Akan.
Inanır and Şoray became one of Yeşilçam's most iconic on-screen duos, starring together in 11 films. Among them was Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım, widely regarded as one of the greatest classics of Turkish cinema and adapted from Kyrgyz author Chingiz Aitmatov's novel The Red Scarf.
Over the course of his career, Inanır appeared in nearly 200 films and earned numerous accolades, including Best Actor awards at the Altın Koza Film Festival, the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and the Ankara Film Festival. He also received lifetime achievement and honorary awards recognizing his contribution to Turkish cinema.
Beyond the big screen, Inanır starred in television productions, most notably the long-running series Marziye, and hosted the social affairs program Böyle Gitmez. He also directed two productions, the 1991 film Ah Gardaşım and the 1992 television series Savcı, in which he also played the lead role.
His final film appearance came in 2019 with Kapı, a drama centered on a Syriac family's return to their ancestral roots in southeastern Türkiye.
In later years, Inanır faced a series of serious health challenges, undergoing surgeries for a herniated disc and a lung tumor in 2012. He suffered a brain embolism in 2018 and a stroke in 2024, leading to prolonged treatment.
His life and career were documented in director Hüseyin Karabey's documentary The Man from the North (Kuzeyden Gelen Adam), which premiered at the 44th Istanbul Film Festival after more than a decade in production.
Remembered for portraying honorable, resilient and principled characters, Inanır leaves behind a body of work that helped define the golden age of Turkish cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences alike.
He will be laid to rest on Sunday. A memorial ceremony will be held at Istanbul's Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) at 1 p.m., followed by funeral prayers at the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Mosque. The veteran actor will then be buried at Ulus Cemetery.
