Turkish film actress and ex-mayor Fatma Girik dies aged 79

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Fatma Girik, a beloved Turkish screen actress of the 1960s and 1970s and one-time district mayor, has died. She was 79. Girik died Monday in a hospital in Istanbul of multiple organ failure while being treated for COVID-19-related pneumonia. Along with Turkan Soray, Filiz Akin and Hulya Kocyigit, Girik was considered one of the four most iconic actresses of the Turkish film industry that was known as “Yesilcam” — after the street in Istanbul where film companies were based. She starred in some 180 films, often portraying strong, combative characters. In 1989, Girik was elected mayor of Istanbul’s Sisli district — a position she held until 1994. In more recent years, she appeared in several Turkish TV series. Her funeral was planned for Tuesday.