Legendary Figure of Turkish Theater Zihni Göktay Passed Away at 81

Zihni Göktay, one of the valuable figures of Turkish theater and the unforgettable 'Rıza' of the operetta 'Lüküs Hayat', has passed away at the age of 81. The news of the artist's death was announced by his daughter, Zeynep Göktay Dilbaz, via her social media account. The statement emphasized that despite his increasing health problems in his final period, the artist never lost his joy of life and his hope of returning to the stage. It was noted that Göktay was embraced with great love by his fans, and they expressed their gratitude to everyone who stood by them during this difficult process. The passing of the legendary actor was met with great sorrow by the Turkish theater and arts community.

The artist's daughter, Zeynep Göktay Dilbaz, included significant details about her father's final months in an emotional post. Accordingly, Zihni Göktay had suffered a severe hip fracture during a theater tour in Ankara at the beginning of the year. This health problem made the elderly artist's struggle for life even more difficult. However, despite all these challenges, Göktay always managed to keep his curiosity about his surroundings and his endless passion for art alive. The master actor, who harbored the hope of reappearing on the stages he loved and reuniting with his loyal audience until his last moment, earned everyone's appreciation with this determination. His family extended their gratitude to all the individuals who did not leave their father alone and showed care during this period.

Göktay, who also made headlines with his private life in his recent years, had shared a significant change he experienced in İstanbul last year with the public. After the house where he resided in the Fenerbahçe neighborhood and into which he put great effort was demolished due to structural safety concerns, he was forced to move to a new home. Following these developments, the master artist had announced that he moved to a nursing home located in İstanbul Maltepe. Additionally, losing his wife Sevinç Göktay, with whom he shared his life, in January 2022 left a profound sorrow on the artist. Göktay, who went through quite difficult days after losing his wife, tried to stay strong and hold on to life despite these challenging life events.

Born in İstanbul on 2 Aralık 1945, Zihni Göktay quickly wrote his name among the most important figures in Turkish theater history. Starting his artistic career in 1964 at Ankara Meydan Sahnesi, Göktay drew attention with his successful performances on this stage for about ten years. In 1973, he joined the İstanbul Şehir Tiyatroları ensemble, opening a brand new and brilliant page in his career. Between 1978 and 1996, he took a role in the İstanbul Radyosu Radyo Tiyatro Şubesi, finding the opportunity to showcase both his acting and directing talents. During these intense and productive years, he reached large audiences by addressing millions of homes through radio theater. Having won the hearts of the Turkish people with his works, the artist rose to a respected position in his profession.

Zihni Göktay solidified his place in art history as one of the last and most important representatives of tuluat theater, a deep-rooted tradition of Turkish theater. The greatest work that placed him among the unforgettable was the operetta 'Lüküs Hayat', in which he performed for a full 28 years. The character 'Rıza', which he portrayed in this long-running and legendary series, was deeply embraced by the Turkish people and became a cultural icon. Throughout his deep-rooted career, the master actor had the pride of taking the stage for exactly 36 years and performing in 72 different plays. With his disciplined approach, leaving no performance to chance, he also became a source of inspiration for young generations of actors. With his unique artistic legacy left behind, Zihni Göktay will continue to hold a very special place in the hearts of Turkish theater lovers.