Comedian Aysen Gruda dies at 75

Turkey's legendary stage and cinema actor Aysen Gruda died at the age of 75, her doctor announced on Wednesday.

Ergun Kasapoglu, the chief physician of Derindere Hospital in Istanbul, said Gruda had been receiving medical treatment for pancreatic cancer for one-and-a-half-years, adding:

“We lost Ms Aysen at 13:45 (1045GMT). She was receiving intensive care for nearly 20 days for respiratory distress.”

Early years

Gruda was born in Istanbul in 1944, the middle child of the Erman family. Her first acting performance was as a maid in a music hall in 1962.

She was married to Yilmaz Gruda between 1965 and 1976.

Gruda became known as “Miss Tomato” after playing the character Miss Tomato Nahide Serbet on a sketch comedy television show.

Prolific career

She acted in over 50 movies. Bizim Aile (1975), Aile Serefi (1976), Tosun Pasa (1976), Copculer Krali (1977), Gulen Gozler (1977), Cicek Abbas (1982) and Hacivat Karagoz Neden Olduruldu? (2006) are just some of the ones she will be remembered for.

Gruda won the Sadri Alisik Awards for theatre and cinema in 2006 and an Antalya-based Golden Orange Award in 2010 for Best Actress. 

She also received the Istanbul Film Festival’s Honorary Award in 2012.

Last rites

Gruda's burial and funeral services will be held at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery on Friday.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy conveyed his condolences, saying: “I am deeply sorry for the loss of Ms Aysen Gruda, one of the most prominent artists of the [Turkish] cinema and stage community.”

Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Binali Yildirim and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) also offered their sympathy following the announcement of Gruda's passing.