Author, screenwriter, and critic Selim İleri has passed away

Renowned author Selim İleri, who had been unwell for some time, was rushed to the hospital this morning after his condition worsened.

İleri, who was hospitalized, passed away in the evening at the age of 75 at the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE FROM İMAMOĞLU

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu shared a condolence message for İleri on his social media account. 

 İmamoğlu used the following expressions:

"We have received the news of the passing of author, screenwriter, and critic Selim İleri; we are saddened. I wish for God's mercy upon him; I extend my condolences to his family, loved ones, and readers. May he rest in peace."

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM REGARDING Selim İleri

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism published a condolence message on its social media account for the author, screenwriter, and critic Selim İleri, who lost his life at the age of 75.

In the post made on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's social media account, it was stated: "We have learned with deep sadness of the passing of Selim İleri, one of the master pens of our literature, who made unique contributions to our literature and art world with his identity as an author, screenwriter, and critic. We wish for God's mercy upon the deceased and extend our condolences to his family, loved ones, and our literary community."

WHO IS Selim İleri?

Selim İleri was born on April 30, 1949, in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul. His father was a senior mechanical engineer, Hasan Hilmi İleri, and his mother was a housewife, Süheyla İleri. In 1953, his father went to Germany as a visiting professor and took his family with him. The family returned to Istanbul the year İleri was to start primary school. He completed the first grade at Cihangir Primary School in 1955. He attended the following grades at Firuzağa Primary School. In 1960, he began his secondary education as a boarding student at Galatasaray High School. He left there and continued his education first at Bakırköy High School and then at Atatürk Boys' High School.

His second story collection, "Pastırma Yazı," was published in 1971. Halit Refiğ, whom he met in the early 1970s, suggested that Turkish cinema needed new screenwriters and encouraged İleri to write screenplays. Thus, he wrote his first screenplay, "Cennetin Kapısı," in 1971. An adapted screenplay he wrote was turned into a film by Zeki Ökten under the title "Kadın Yapar." His first original screenplay was "Bir Demet Menekşe."

"Damsız Evler," "Çürüme," and "Düşman Gözler" were his screenplays that were not turned into films.

With the filming of his screenplay "Kırık Bir Aşk Hikâyesi" in 1981, he was awarded the Best Screenplay of the Year by the Cinema Writers Association in 1982. He subsequently wrote the screenplays for the films "Seni Kalbime Göndüm" and "Göl." "Yaşarken ve Ölürken," which took its name from the final words of Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil's "Aşk-ı Memnu," was chosen as the novel of the year by Milliyet Sanat. That same year, he published a study book titled "Aşkı-Memnû ya da Uzun Bir Kışın Siyah Günleri."

In books such as "Çağdaşlık Sorunları," "Düşünce ve Duyarlık" (1982), "Seni Çok Özledim" (1986), "O Yakamoz Söner" (1987), and "Perisi Kaçmış Yazılar" (1996), he approached the problems in Turkish literature with a critical eye. His novels "Ölünceye Kadar Seninim" (1983) and "Yalancı Şafak" (1984) were published but did not receive sufficient attention. In 1985, he published the book "Saz Caz Düğün Varyete." As a draft dodger, İleri serialized his novel "Hayal ve Istırap" in Hürriyet to raise the necessary money upon rumors of a paid military service law. With the introduction of paid military service in 1987, he went for three months of military service. Upon his return, the film "Hiçbir Gece," which he wrote and directed, was not shown in theaters and was rejected by the preliminary jury at the Antalya Film Festival.

In the 1990s, İleri wrote plays. "Cahide, Ölüm ve Elmas," an adaptation of the life of Cahide Sonku, was the first play he wrote. His next play, "Allahaısmarladık Cumhuriyet," won both the Afife Jale and Avni Dilligil awards in 1997. He received the title of State Artist with the play "Mihri Müşfik: Ölü Bir Kelebek," which was staged in 1998. He published "Mavi Kanatlarınla Yalnız Benim Olsaydın," which won the Turkish Writers Union Novel Award, in 1991. While "Cemil Şevket Bey/Aynalı Dolaba İki El Revolver," which he wrote based on Nahit Sırrı Örik's 1946 novel "Kıskanmak," was published in 1997, he published "Ada" and "Her Yalnızlık Gibi" in 1999, "Solmaz Hanım" and "Kimsesiz Okurlar İçin" in 2000, and "Bu Yaz, Ayrılığın İlk Yazı Olacak" in 2001, which won the Orhan Kemal Novel Award in 2002.

In 2006, he returned to short stories with the book "Fotoğrafı Sana Gönderiyorum." In 2007, he published three books in three different genres titled "Hepsi Alev," "Kapalı İktisat," and "İstanbul Lale ile Sümbül."

He received the Erdal Öz Literature Award in 2021.