Artuk Bey actor Ayberk Pekcan passes away following cancer battle
The ‘Dirilis Ertugrul’ actor was 51 years old
Entertainment Desk |
January 25, 2022
If Dirilis Ertuğrul became all the rage because of the titular character, played by Engin Altan Düzyatan, and his band of side warriors, it will always be remembered for the soft touch that Artuk Bey actor Aberk Pekcan brought to the show and the Kayi tribe. Pekcan, who brought life to the medic-turned-advisor with his measured yet impactful portrayal, breathed his last on Monday, leaving fans with a lot more bruises to be healed. The 51-year-old lost his battle to lung cancer in Mersin.
Following his cancer diagnosis, the actor said in a statement posted to his social media in October 2021, “Dear friends, the process that started with the doctor I went to for back pain ten days ago has reached this point today. I have lung cancer. The tumour has also spread to the liver and adrenal glands. Unfortunately, in the initial stages, this disease did not show any symptoms. First day of chemotherapy. My greatest support is my family. My friends are close by. I will do my best to regain my health.”
Pekcan's Ertuğrul co-stars, including Engin Altan Düzyatan who plays Ertuğrul Bey and Esra Bilgiç aka Halime Hatun, took to social media to mourn the actor's passing, posting Instagram stories in the actor's honour.
The series' director and producer Mehmet Bozdag also took to Instagram to share, "Aberk Pekcan Hakk, who contributed his spirit to our project with his acting in Ertuğrul has passed away. May God have mercy on our brother. I pray for patience for his family and loved ones."
Born in 1970, the actor kicked off his career in 2001. In the next two decades, Pekcan worked in many Turkish productions, winning several awards along the way. The actor was honoured with a best supporting actor trophy at the Ankara Film Festival.
The actor was introduced to Pakistan and, to some extent, the rest of the world, via Dirilis Ertuğrul, but Pekcan had been an eminent part of the Turkish film and TV industry for two decades. He had more than 20 TV shows and a little less than a dozen big-screen projects to his credit.
Playing Ertuğrul’s right-hand man, the actor visited Pakistan in 2020 after the series saw massive success in the country. Pekcan, along with actor Nurettin Sönmez arrived in Islamabad in early January as part of a 20-member contingent with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. On the occasion of the visit, Senator Faisal Javed Khan took to Twitter to share, "Thank you for coming to Pakistan Bamsi Bey and Artuk Bey (Ayberk Pekcan) as we look forward to more bilateral exchange of knowledge, ideas, talent and content between Pakistani and Turkish entertainment industries [especially] to promote Islamic history via art, film and drama."
The politician wrote on Twitter after the actor's passing, "Saddened to hear of the passing of Ayberk Pekcan, Artuk Bey. May Allah rest his soul in peace and give enough strength to his family/friends to cope with this huge loss. Have met him a couple of times. He was a great person and a great artist. Indeed a huge loss to Turkish entertainment industry."
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) January 24, 2022
Fans mourn loss of beloved 'Artuk Bey'
Several Twitter users took to the app to remember the late actor, reflecting on his widely-loved performance as Artuk Bey. One fan wrote, "Woke up to this Tragic News about the demise of Artuk Bey from Ertugrul Ghazi. He was one of my favourites. I can’t believe it, I have no words. May Allah give strength to the family of departed soul."
— Aasma khan yousafzai (@aky_says) January 25, 2022
Another tweeted, "The physician in Ertugrul Ghazi series. How beautifully he acted in the serial. The only message he gave in whole of his acting was to 'never lose hope'. Rest in peace, legend."
— Idrees Mahsud (@MahsudIdrees) January 25, 2022
"We’ll miss our fav medic that was known to carry an antidote for every ailment, just not for his own," wrote a grieving fan.
"This one is for the lovers of the Turkish show Ertugrul. The actor who so beautifully played the role of Artuk Bey, Ayberk Pekcan, passed away at the age of 51. Many fans of Ertugrul love his deep-voiced pronunciation of 'InshaAllAAAAAh.' Inna lilah wa ilayhi raji'un."
Load Next Story