Actress Ece İrtem, best known for her role in the Turkish TV series Cranberry Sorbet, died from alcohol poisoning the day after her 35th birthday party, according to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
İrtem collapsed at her home in Istanbul on June 15 while her mother was present. Initially suspected to be a heart attack, the investigation revealed a blood alcohol level of 395 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl), which is medically critical and often fatal.
Cause of Death: Alcohol and Medication Interaction
Experts concluded that the combination of her high blood alcohol level and a prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication caused her death. Her lawyer, Uğur Gökkoyun, initially announced her death earlier in June, stating that the investigation was ongoing.
Gökkoyun said in a statement: "My client Ece İrtem passed away today at around midday. The incident occurred at her home while she was with her mother. Initial findings suggest she died due to a heart attack. The investigation continues and the exact cause will be determined by the autopsy report, which will be shared with the public when available. I offer my condolences to her family and all her loved ones."
Tributes and Funeral
Tributes poured in from friends and fans. One friend wrote: "I cannot find the words. She was a person whose heart was full of love, energy and happiness. Living through this pain is truly very sad."
İrtem had posted on social media the day before her death, thanking fans and loved ones for birthday wishes. She was buried at Yenikoy Cemetery in Kusadasi, on Turkey's Aegean coast.
Career Highlights
Ece İrtem was best known for playing the sharp-witted Işıl in Cranberry Sorbet. Her other TV credits included Yeni Gelin, Mr Wrong, Sandık Kokusu, and 10 Days of a Curious Man, as well as historical dramas Kuruluş Osman and Payitaht Abdülhamid.
