Prominent journalist Bekir Coşkun dies at 75

ISTANBUL

Bekir Coşkun, a prominent journalist and a well-known figure in the Turkish press, has passed away at the age of 75 after losing his battle against lung cancer.

“Coşkun was brought to Ankara City Hospital Emergency Service in the evening due to a respiratory arrest. His vital functions did not return despite the intense efforts of the healthcare professionals,” said a written statement by the hospital administration.

Coşkun’s body will be buried on Oct. 22 in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, his hometown, after a funeral to be held in Ankara today.

A career spanning five decades cemented Coşkun as one of the country’s most enduring voices, especially in the 1980s, when the army was frequently involved in politics.

Born in 1945, Coşkun started his career as a photojournalist in 1974, after graduating from the Higher School of Journalism in Ankara.

The journalist, who had worked as a columnist for daily newspapers Günaydın and Sabah, transferred to Hürriyet in 1987 and wrote articles for the daily for 22 years.

Working for Habertürk and then daily Sözcü for a while after Hürriyet, the columnist stopped writing in 2017 as he was undergoing cancer treatment.

Known for his love for nature and animals, Coşkun met with his readers for the last time on Oct. 4, World Animal Rights Day.

Several politicians and public figures extended their condolences over the death of Coşkun.