Turkish journalist Tayfun Talipoğlu dies aged 55

İZMİR

AA photo

Journalist Tayfun Talipoğlu died early on March 21 in the western province of İzmir after falling ill, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. He was 55.

Talipoğlu felt faint at his residence in the Güzelyalı neighborhood of the Konak district at around 1 a.m., after which family members immediately informed emergency services about his condition.

Talipoğlu was taken to Katip Çelebi University’s Atatürk Training and Research Hospital following initial medical intervention but was subsequently pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, the journalist’s son, Candaş Talipoğlu, told reporters outside the İzmir Forensics Institute that his father died of a heart attack. 

“This was the third time he suffered from heart attack. He had previously suffered from this and had a stent placed. Presumably, he could not stand it as it happened over and over again in a short span of time,” he said.

He added that his father would be laid to rest in the capital Ankara either on March 22 or March 23.

Born in 1962 in the eastern province of Kars, Talipoğlu graduated from the public administration department at Ankara University in 1983 and began his journalism career as a reporter at daily Milliyet. He had been primarily known for his TV series, “Bamteli” (the lowest note string in music), which began in 1995 and which was aired on various channels, including ATV and NTV. He also worked as a columnist, authored a number of poetry books and recorded albums of traditional Turkish music.

Since 2007, Talipoğlu had acted as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF Turkey. In the 2015 general elections, he ran as a deputy candidate from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the western province of Aydın.

Meanwhile, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu extended his condolences to Talipoğlu on his Twitter account, describing him as “a doyen journalist who established himself in Turkey by carrying out his profession with dignity.”