Turkish actress Ece İrtem, known for playing Işıl in the television drama “Kızılcık Şerbeti,” died Monday at the age of 35, according to a statement from her lawyer.
İrtem died at about noon at her home while her mother was with her, the lawyer said. Preliminary findings pointed to a heart attack, but an investigation was continuing and the cause of death would be determined by an autopsy.
The lawyer issued the statement after unconfirmed claims about the circumstances of İrtem’s death circulated on social media.
İrtem died one day after her birthday. She was born on June 14, 1991, in the central Turkish province of Sivas.
She became known to a wider audience through her portrayal of Işıl in “Kızılcık Şerbeti,” known internationally as “Cranberry Sorbet.” The prime-time series follows the conflicts between secular and conservative families brought together by the marriage of their children.
İrtem graduated from the opera and vocal performance department at Yaşar University in the western city of İzmir in 2014 and later studied acting at the Sadri Alışık Cultural Center in İstanbul.
She began her television career in 2014 and appeared in a series of Turkish productions, including “Yeni Gelin,” “Bay Yanlış,” “Mahkum,” “Yasak Elma” and “Sandık Kokusu.” Her film credits included “Zengo” and the 2024 Netflix crime thriller “10 Days of a Curious Man.”