Turkish actress Ece Irtem, best known as Isil in the hit drama Kizilcik Serbeti (One Love), died on June 15, 2026, at her Istanbul home, just one day after turning 35. Her lawyer confirmed a suspected heart attack.
The Turkish entertainment world has been plunged into mourning following the sudden and shocking death of actress Ece Irtem, who passed away on June 15, 2026 at the age of 35. Best known for her leading role in the popular drama series Kizilcik Serbeti, known internationally as One Love, Irtem was found unconscious at her home in Istanbul around noon on Monday.
She had celebrated her 35th birthday just one day before her death. She leaves behind a television career spanning more than a decade, a devoted fanbase across Turkey and internationally, and a sense of shock that has reverberated through the industry since the news broke.
The Final Hours
According to Turkish media reports, the actress began feeling unwell at her flat on Saturday morning. Her mother was present with her at the time and immediately called for emergency services. Paramedics arrived at the scene and quickly commenced resuscitation efforts but were sadly unable to save her life.
According to information published by Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Irtem began feeling ill at her home around 12:00 p.m. Despite all the efforts of the medical teams who rushed to the home to attend to the young actress, it was not possible to save her life.
The death was officially confirmed by her lawyer Ugur Gokkoyun. He stated that a heart attack is currently believed to be the preliminary cause of death. However, a final and conclusive ruling will only be issued following a full forensic medical examination. The lawyer also dismissed widespread social media rumours suggesting Irtem died by suicide, calling them baseless and harmful.
A new development emerged in the days after the death when Irtem’s mother gave a statement to Turkish television programme Cansu Canan ile Yeni Sayfa on Show TV. The statement brought forward details about her final hours, including that Irtem had been using antidepressant medication. Authorities stressed that the autopsy would provide the definitive cause of death and that speculation in the meantime was premature and harmful to the family.
A Birthday Celebrated, a Life Cut Short
The timing of Irtem’s passing has added a layer of heartbreak to an already devastating loss. What has made the tragedy even more heartbreaking is its timing. Irtem had celebrated her 35th birthday just a day before her death and had shared a warm message thanking fans and loved ones for their wishes.
A particularly poignant detail that has come to light following the sad news has added even more tragic circumstances to her unexpected passing. It has been revealed that Ece Irtem had celebrated her birthday just the day before her death. In fact, she had expressed her gratitude on her social media for the support and affection she received from her loved ones during her birthday.
Those birthday messages, expressing warmth and gratitude to the people who loved her, were the last public words she shared with the world.
Who Was Ece Irtem?
Ece Irtem was born on June 14, 1991, in the central Turkish province of Sivas. Irtem’s career was defined by a unique blend of classical vocal training and contemporary television acting. She graduated from Yasar University’s Opera and Voice Department in 2014, finishing third in her class. During her studies she worked with internationally recognised artists including soprano Aytul Buyuksarac and tenor Levent Gunduz, as well as acclaimed musicians Paolo Susanni and Anna Chubuchenko.
That classical musical background gave Irtem an artistic range that set her apart from many of her contemporaries. She was not simply a television actress. She was a trained operatic singer who chose the medium of drama to reach a wider audience.
She began her acting career in 2014 with the series Kacak Gelinler (Runaway Brides) and later appeared in productions including O Hayat Benim (That Is My Life), Seref Meselesi (Matter of Respect) and Kertenkele Yeniden Dogus. In 2017, she played Afet in the Show TV series Yeni Gelin (New Bride). She later joined Payitaht Abdulhamid as Robina in 2019, appeared as Gizem Sezer in Bay Yanlis in 2020, and played Ferda in Mahkum in 2021. In the following years, she also took part in Yasak Elma and Aile. Her most recent role was Isil in Kizilcik Serbeti.
The Role That Made Her Famous: Isil in Kizilcik Serbeti
While Irtem had worked steadily in television for years, it was her role as Isil in Cranberry Sorbet that brought her widespread recognition. The series remains one of Turkey’s most-watched and talked-about television dramas, attracting a loyal audience both domestically and internationally. Her portrayal of the ambitious hotel manager Isil earned praise from viewers and helped introduce her to a much larger audience.
The character became a significant part of the show’s later seasons, further cementing Irtem’s place among rising stars of Turkish television. The actress was also known among fans for her elegant screen presence and ability to transition between drama, romance and family-oriented storytelling.
Kizilcik Serbeti, which explores family dynamics, generational conflict, and social tensions in modern Turkish society, had built an enormous following both within Turkey and among international audiences who discovered it through streaming platforms. Isil was one of the series’ most discussed characters, and Irtem’s nuanced performance in the role was a significant reason why. For many viewers in Europe and across the world who followed Turkish drama, Ece Irtem was Isil. That is how they will remember her.
The Industry’s Response
The reaction from Turkey’s entertainment community was immediate and profound. Colleagues, fellow cast members, and public figures took to social media throughout Sunday and Monday to express their grief. The sudden death of the actress caused deep shock throughout the artistic community and among the actress’s fans.
Cast members from Kizilcik Serbeti paid tribute publicly, with many describing Irtem as warm, generous, and deeply committed to her craft. Friends from across her career spoke of a woman who brought the same dedication to her personal relationships as she did to her professional life.
As the news spread through the Turkish arts community, legal representation for the actress addressed the circumstances of her death through an official statement, seeking to clarify the initial findings while emphasising that a formal investigation is underway.
A Young Death in a Broader Context
Irtem’s death at 35 has reignited a conversation in Turkey about the pressures faced by performers in the country’s booming television industry. Turkish drama, known globally as dizi, has expanded at an extraordinary pace over the past decade. Turkey is now the world’s second largest exporter of television content after the United States, with its series broadcast in more than 150 countries.
That success comes with immense professional pressure. Production schedules for Turkish dramas are notoriously demanding, with actors often filming for 12 to 16 hours a day over continuous weeks. The competitive nature of the industry and the personal costs it can impose on those who work within it are subjects that Irtem’s passing has placed back at the centre of public discussion in Turkey.
Full Career Filmography
Over the course of her twelve-year career, Ece Irtem appeared in a wide range of productions. On television: Kizilcik Serbeti as Isil, Sandik Kokusu as Hande, Mahsun J as Nukhet, Aile as Cansin, Yasak Elma as Meric, Mahkum as Ferda, Bay Yanlis as Gizem Sezer, Payitaht Abdulhamid as Robina, Yeni Gelin as Afet, Kertenkele, Paramparça, Seref Meselesi, O Hayat Benim, and Kacak Gelinler. On the cinema screen, she appeared in the films Zengo and Merakli Adamin 10 Gunu.
Farewell
Ece Irtem was 35 years old. She had spent her adult life moving between the concert hall and the television studio, between the operatic tradition she trained in and the dramatic storytelling that made her famous. She had just thanked her fans for celebrating her birthday with her. One day later, she was gone.
The autopsy report is pending and will be released publicly when complete. Europeans24 will update this article when the official cause of death is confirmed.
Europeans24 extends its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Ece Irtem.
