Famous Turkish actress Fatma Girik died in the intensive care unit of a private hospital where she was treated this morning. She was 79.

Girik, who was living in the Bodrum district of southwestern Muğla province, came to Istanbul for treatment about six months ago. However, the veteran actress could not win the battle for her life at the hospital. The doctors have not yet revealed the cause of death.

Şişli District Mayor Muammer Keskin announced the death of Girik on his social media account. Keskin said about Girik, who was the former district mayor of Şişli, "The great value of Yeşilçam and our Şişli ... I am deeply saddened by the loss of dear Fatma Girik, our former District Mayor of Şişli, with whom I was honored to work with when I was the district chairperson."

Girik was born in Istanbul on Dec. 12, 1942, in the Cankurtaran neighborhood in old Istanbul. She graduated from Cağaloğlu Girls' High School. Girik was only 13 when she took her first role in a movie. She played a minor role in "Günahkar Baba" ("The Sinner Father") in 1955.

Her first leading role in a movie was in 1957 with "Leke" ("Spot"), directed by Seyfi Havaeri. After "Leke," she appeared in a few more unpretentious productions in which she failed to make a name for herself as an actress. The movie that Girik attracted the most attention for with her performance and which became famous was the 1960 production of "Ölüm Peşimizde" ("Death is Chasing Us"), directed by Memduh Ün.

Girik acted in more than 180 films. She also entered politics in the later years of her career and was the district mayor of Şişli from the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) between 1989 and 1994.