Who is Erkan Yolaç, why did he die, and how old was he? Everything you need to know about Erkan Yolaç

Erkan Yolaç, the host of the unforgettable TRT competition 'Yes-No', has passed away at the hospital where he was receiving treatment due to multiple organ failure.

Yolaç, who had been in intensive care for a long time, was 89 years old.

The following statement was made by the hospital where Yolaç was staying:

"The treatment of the esteemed television personality Erkan Yolaç, who was admitted to our hospital due to respiratory distress, was continued with a multidisciplinary approach. Our patient, who had been under treatment in the intensive care unit for a long time, unfortunately passed away on the evening of May 16, 2024, at 21:00 due to multiple organ failure. We wish him mercy and extend our condolences to his grieving family and all his loved ones."

WHO IS ERKAN YOLAÇ?

Erkan Yolaç (born February 24, 1935, Kırklareli) was a Turkish television presenter.

He became known as the host of the "Yes-No Competition" on the Studio Sunday program, which aired on TRT television on Sundays starting in 1985.

THE LIFE OF ERKAN YOLAÇ

He was born in 1935 in the Babaeski district of Kırklareli. He was a member of a family from Edirne that had migrated to Turkey from Sofia. His mother was Hikmet Hanım, and his father was Mehmet Bey, who worked at the Alpullu Sugar Factory. According to Erkan Yolaç, his family took the surname "Yolaç" because his father was an engineer (who opened roads/yol açmak).

The Yolaç family moved to Istanbul when Erkan Yolaç was six years old. Erkan Yolaç began his secondary education at the Saint-Joseph French High School in Istanbul and continued at Kenan Evren Anatolian High School a year later. When his family moved to Karabük in 1951 due to his father's job, he continued his education as a boarding student at Kastamonu High School.

While a student at Kastamonu High School, he had his first hosting experience by making announcements from the municipal announcement microphones under the guidance of his literature teacher, Rauf Mutluay. After this first experience, he began making all the municipality's announcements at the request of Mayor Osman Zeki Oktay.

In 1959, he graduated from the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts as an interior architect. In 1960, he hosted a special holiday entertainment program on Ankara Radio. He worked in casinos with names such as Huysuz Virjin, Orhan Boran, and Leyla Sayar. He adapted the "Yes-No" competition, which had previously been conducted by the British broadcaster BBC, to his own style and performed it on stage for the first time at the Caddebostan Casino in 1962.

In this competition, contestants would try to answer Yolaç's questions for two minutes without using the words Yes or No. Yolaç hosted this competition for years on stage, radio, and television. In 1964, he appeared as an actor in two feature films.

He married Asuman Tuğberk, the 1970 Miss Turkey, in 1976. Together with his wife, he established and operated a garment workshop. The couple had a daughter and a son.

Yolaç became known throughout Turkey with the 'Yes-No' competition he hosted within the Studio Sunday program, which aired on TRT television starting in 1985. Starting in 1996, he hosted an entertainment program called "Erkan Yolaç Show" on the TGRT channel.

Erkan Yolaç passed away on May 17, 2024.

ERKAN YOLAÇ FILMOGRAPHY

• Meyhaneci, 1964
• Yılların Ardından, 1964
• Muhteşem Serseri, 1964