Erkan Yolaç laid to rest

Master presenter Erkan Yolaç has been laid to rest.

At the funeral ceremony held following the noon prayer, condolences were accepted by the master presenter's son, Mehmet Yolaç, and his daughter, Göksu Yolaç.

In addition to Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, the ceremony was attended by İzzet Yıldızhan, Gülben Ergen, Mehmet Ali Erbil, and Ragıp Savaş, as well as many figures from the art world and Yolaç's loved ones.

In his statement to members of the press, Governor Gül stated that Yolaç was a valuable figure, saying, "May the Lord treat him with mercy. May he rest in peace."

Erkan Yolaç's son, Mehmet Yolaç, also stated that his father was one of the last living masters of Turkish television history, saying, "Of course, I am very proud on behalf of my father for the interest shown. We have lost a master raised by Turkey who gave and received love and put in a lot of effort. May his path be filled with light. May the most beautiful days and the most beautiful nights be with you."

Following the funeral prayer, Yolaç's coffin was carried on shoulders to the hearse and was buried in the family plot at Zekeriyaköy Cemetery.

WHO IS ERKAN YOLAÇ?

Presenter Erkan Yolaç, who left a mark on memories with the unforgettable TRT contest "Yes-No," was born in Kırklareli in 1935 as the son of Hikmet Hanım and Mehmet Bey, who immigrated to Turkey from Sofia.

Yolaç moved to Istanbul with his family when he was 6 years old. He completed his secondary education at Saint-Joseph French High School and Kenan Evren Anatolian High School. Due to his father's work, the family moved to Karabük in 1951, and Yolaç continued his education as a boarding student at Kastamonu High School.

While a student, he had his first presenting experience by making announcements from municipal microphones under the guidance of his literature teacher, Rauf Mutluay, and graduated from the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts as an interior architect in 1959.

Erkan Yolaç stepped into the media in 1960 by presenting a special holiday entertainment program on Ankara Radio. The master figure, who adapted the contest called "Yes-No" broadcast on the BBC, first staged the contest at the Caddebostan Casino in 1962.

- Known for the "Yes-No" contest on TRT

Yolaç, who made contestants answer his questions for two minutes without using the words "yes" or "no," moved his show to TRT in 1985 after the contest received great interest.

While the master presenter became known throughout Turkey with the "Yes-No" contest he presented within the Studio Sunday program on TRT, he signed his name to an entertainment program called "Erkan Yolaç Show" on TGRT television starting in 1996.

The famous presenter, who went to the USA in 2018 for the birth of his grandchild and was treated for pneumonia, had been struggling with health problems for a long time.

News Source: AA