Prominent cartoonist laid to rest

ISTANBUL

Renowned Turkish caricaturist Latife Demirci, who lost his life on June 5 at the age of 61, has been laid to rest in Istanbul on June 7, following a funeral service attended by prominent figures of the Turkish media and art worlds.

Demirci, who was known as the “father of many cartoon characters,” was drawing caricatures on the front page of the daily Hürriyet.

“He was a nonesuch person, such a big loss,” Ahmet Hakan, the editor-in-chief of daily Hürriyet, said at the funeral service held in the Teşvikiye Mosque.

“He is gone so early. What made him different was his power of observation. He used to see things we could not,” Sedat Ergin, former editor-in-chief of the daily, noted.

Born in Istanbul in 1961, Demirci was known for the characters he created, such as “Mr. Press and Mrs. Media,” “Mr. Muhlis” and “Arab Kadri.”

His first caricature was published in the Gırgır magazine in 1975, when he was only 14 years old. After working for “Fırt” magazine, he founded “Hıbır,” another famous magazine in the country, in 1989 with some other caricaturists.

Demirci was the author and the artist of 10 comic books.

“He was man who became happy when he was drawing,” Tan Oral, a caricaturist said. Demirci’s sister Nurver Tiyaki expressed her feelings in tears, saying, “A part of me is gone, I am so sorry.”