Actor Kadir İnanır laid to rest in İstanbul

Renowned actor Kadir İnanır was laid to rest in İstanbul yesterday following his death at age 77. İnanır passed away on Jun 26 at a hospital where he was receiving treatment for respiratory distress linked to pneumonia.

A memorial ceremony was held for the artist at 1.00 pm local time at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim. His funeral prayer was performed at the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Mosque in Beşiktaş, followed by his burial at the Ulus Cemetery.

İnanır was a leading figure of the Yeşilçam era of Turkish cinema, appearing in nearly 200 films and television series. His screen persona was characterized by rigid archetypes of honorable, tough, and fiercely anti-injustice protagonists.

His partnership with actress Türkan Şoray produced several foundational works of Turkish romantic drama, most notably Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım in 1977. His performances in Tatar Ramazan and Yılanların Öcü reinforced his cinematic brand as a defiant defender of the marginalized.

Political stance

Beyond his acting career, İnanır maintained a prominent left-wing political profile. He frequently leveraged his cultural capital to engage in systemic issues, emphasizing human rights, democratization, and labor issues. In 2013, the government appointed him to the Committee of Wise People, an advisory body established from public figures and intellectuals to facilitate the Kurdish peace process. 

İnanır frequently expressed his political views in writing. In a 2015 article titled "Long Live the Brotherhood of Peoples" for the 13th issue of the monthly KAFA Magazine, he emphasized the social responsibilities of cultural figures:

Artists’ attitudes toward eliminating their country’s fundamental problems, which have lagged behind the times, or toward being sensitive to these issues, are just as important as the works they produce. When an artist combines their artistic power with their enlightening power, humanity in that country grows and is elevated to the beauty of a work of art. Throughout my 46-year career as an artist, I have always championed and defended these ideas.

I travel to conflict zones around the world. I witness firsthand the hardships and deaths endured along the paths toward peace. I work tirelessly so that the climate of conflict in our country may be eliminated and transformed into lasting peace. I am dedicating the most beautiful years of my life to this cause. In defiance of those wretched opponents, I will not give up this struggle until the very end.

This structure imposed upon us is, without a doubt, nothing more than a deliberate method they employ to stand in the way of the world’s most beautiful country. In light of these truths, we have no other choice but to join hands, embrace one another, and shout “PEACE” at the top of our lungs. This heavenly homeland is rich and vast enough to feed 500 million people. There is only one slogan for us to experience this happiness together: Long live the Brotherhood of Peoples! Long live PEACE! Long live a Fully Independent Turkey.

(TY/VK)