Master of Turkish theater Zihni Göktay passes away at 80

Zihni Göktay, one of the master names of Turkish theater, has passed away at the age of 80.

The news of the death of Göktay, who left a mark on the memories of large audiences especially with his performance in the operetta "Lüküs Hayat," where he performed for 28 years, was announced by his daughter, Zeynep Göktay Dilbaz.

In a statement on her social media account, Dilbaz stated that her father's health problems increased following a hip fracture he suffered during a tour in Ankara at the beginning of the year. The statement expressed that despite this, Göktay did not lose his "joy of life, his curiosity about his surroundings, and his hope of returning to the stage and reuniting with his beloved audience until the very last moment."

"He was embraced with great love by his audience, his loved ones, and everyone whose life he touched. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who showed interest, called, asked after him, and stood by him during this process on behalf of our father."

In a message he published, Deputy Secretary General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mahir Polat commemorated Göktay with the words "a century-old plane tree of Turkish theater" and "a great representative of our traditional theater." Polat emphasized that Göktay grew up in the Eminönü Community Center and was one of the iconic names of the İBB City Theaters for 53 years.

A LEGACY SPANNING OVER 60 YEARS IN THEATER

Born in Istanbul on December 2, 1945, Zihni Göktay began his professional artistic career in 1964 at the Ankara Meydan Sahnesi. Joining the Istanbul City Theaters in 1973, the artist became one of the institution's most recognizable actors for many years.

Between 1978 and 1996, Göktay also served as a director and actor at the Istanbul Radio Theater Branch of TRT. Recognized as one of the last representatives of the Tuluat (improvisational) tradition, the artist performed in 72 plays over 36 years.

Throughout his artistic life, Göktay, who valued stage discipline, the traditional theatrical heritage, and the strong bond he established with the audience, entered the annals of theater history with his role in "Lüküs Hayat." The master actor's wife, Sevinç Göktay, had also passed away in January 2022.

News Source: 12punto