Hıncal Uluç, one of the oldest living journalists from the Turkish press’ “Babıali” era, passed away at the age of 83 late Sunday. Uluç was hospitalized for several health problems recently and was in intensive care at a hospital in Istanbul.
Uluç was a columnist for Sabah, Daily Sabah’s sister newspaper in his later years, penning columns up until his hospitalization. He was also a sports commentator for A Spor, a TV station which is operated by Turkuvaz Media Group like Daily Sabah and Sabah.
He was 18 years old when he made his foray into journalism, as a sports reporter for the now-defunct Yenigün newspaper in the capital Ankara. After stints in different newspapers, he started working for Sabah in 1990.
A veteran of Babıali, the name given to Türkiye’s “newspaper district” at the heart of Istanbul’s Sultanahmet quarters, Uluç made a career as a sports editor for several newspapers in his youth. His interest in culture and arts helped him to diversify and for a while, he served as TV entertainment editor for the Cumhuriyet newspaper. In the 1980s, he tried his hand at magazine publishing, serving as editor-in-chief of a now-defunct magazine.
His distinct laughter and work in several entertainment shows on public broadcaster TRT made Uluç a household name in the country and a favorite subject of parodies.
A lifelong fan of Galatasaray, Uluç was also among the fiercest critics of the Süper Lig team, which earned him a large number of foes among the club’s supporters.
Though his columns touched upon everything from parallel parking drivers to criminal cases, Uluç often described himself as a “critic.” “I tried everything, from music to sports,” (he was also a songwriter) and found I did not have talent. So, I adhered to criticism,” he said in a 2002 interview. His column in Sabah was largely about critiques of culture and arts events and it was his passion for those events that introduced Daily Sabah to Uluç, who praised the newspaper’s coverage of artistic exhibitions. Condolences poured in for Uluç. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among those extending condolences for Uluç, who is survived by an elder brother while sports clubs issued statements of condolences for the veteran journalist.
