A final autopsy report states that Turkish actress Ece İrtem, who passed away at the age of 35 last month, died of alcohol poisoning, ending weeks of public speculation over her death, the Karar daily reported on Wednesday.
The report, released by Turkey’s state forensic agency, said İrtem’s death occurred as a result of “alcohol (ethyl alcohol) intoxication.” It also noted that therapeutic levels of medication active substances were found in her body and that such substances are medically known to increase the depressant effect of alcohol on the central nervous system.
İrtem died June 15 at her home in İstanbul while her mother was with her. Her lawyer said at the time that preliminary findings pointed to a heart attack but that the cause of death would be determined by an autopsy. He issued the statement after unconfirmed claims about the circumstances of her death spread on social media.
Those claims later included suggestions that her death could have been linked to a monkey bite during a recent trip to Thailand, sepsis or the use of antidepressants with alcohol. Earlier autopsy findings indicated no evidence of assault, trauma or outside intervention, according to Turkish media reports.
The final forensic report gives the first official cause of death after the investigation attracted attention in Turkey’s entertainment press and on social media.
İrtem, who was born in the central Turkish province of Sivas on June 14, 1991, died one day after her birthday.
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 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 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 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.”
İrtem was buried in the Kuşadası district of the western province of Aydın after a funeral attended by relatives and colleagues.