‘Avrupa Yakası’ confession from veteran actress years later

Following the news of Vural Çelik's untimely death, the farewell message posted by the show's screenwriter and lead actress, Gülse Birsel, became the target of criticism.

While Gülse Birsel deleted the post that had become a trending topic on social media, veteran actress Suna Keskin, who played the character of Sedef in Avrupa Yakası, made a statement following the events.

Vural Çelik, remembered as the 'Kubilay' of 'Avrupa Yakası', passed away on October 17 due to a heart attack at his home.

The farewell post titled "My goodbye to Vural," shared on social media by his co-star Gülse Birsel—who did not attend the funeral and was known to be estranged from him—drew backlash.

"MISTAKES, WRONGS..."

Birsel stated the following:

"My goodbye to Vural... Funerals, apart from the religious ceremony, exist to commemorate and bid farewell to the deceased. Vural Çelik had come to Avrupa Yakası for the role of Kubilay for a few episodes. That week, I told the producer, 'I want to write him into every episode if possible,' and Vural joined the team. He was a unique character. He would get offended by everyone for no reason, take offense at things we didn't know the cause of, and then ask for gifts to make up."

"When he said he wanted to leave as we were entering the final season, we tried to dissuade him. He had complaints about his salary, hours, and his place in the script. I wish we had acted together in the final season as well. And I wish he hadn't made inexplicable, inappropriate remarks about me on a TV program a few months later. But there is no need to recount his mistakes and wrongs from the following years here, nor would it be appropriate. May God have mercy on him. May he rest in peace."

FAMILY'S STATEMENT: SHE SHOULD GO TO HIS GRAVE AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

Following these remarks, which drew much criticism and led to her deleting the post, Vural Çelik's sister, Kadriye Çelik, responded on behalf of the family:

"We are going through one of the most difficult periods of our lives. My dear brother Vural Çelik has left us and left behind a deep pain. His warm smile, loving heart, and the beauty he added to our lives will always be remembered."

"Let us not forget that my brother left a mark on the hearts of many people throughout his life. We will never forget the values he taught us, the memories he shared, and the love he gave. We know that in these difficult days, supporting each other and keeping his memory alive is the most important thing."

"As the Çelik family, while our pain is still very fresh, we witnessed with sadness Gülse Birsel's overstepping statements. We leave it to the public's discretion how appropriate it is to make such comments about my brother without giving us a chance to defend him."

"As can be understood from these statements, a person's pen may be talented; however, this does not mean they are a good person. My brother was a person who loved to make people happy and make them laugh, and he was happy with every smile he saw. This was his greatest wealth."

"Throughout his life, my brother was someone who took care of a visually impaired mother, a sister, and two nieces, struggled through life, and never bowed to anyone while chasing his bread. He lived with honor and left us with honor."

"As the Çelik family, our advice to Gülse Birsel is to go to my brother's grave and ask for forgiveness. This might, perhaps, bring some peace to our hearts in these difficult days. My brother is big-hearted; we hope he forgives..."

SUNA KESKİN: IT'S A PITY

Following the events, veteran actress Suna Keskin, who played the character of 'Sedef' in 'Avrupa Yakası', said the following on the magazine program 'Aramızda Kalmasın':

"I joined in the second year. What heartbreaks and mistakes happen on those sets. A lot of things happened on that set, too. The actors tolerated them. This could have been overlooked as well. It's a pity. Why is one person shown tolerance while it is withheld from another? One should be more careful. I wish they could have said, 'Vural, we are not letting you go.'"