16.11.2026 00:48
Necmettin Ay, a Kurdish music artist and dengbej known by the nickname "Necmedine Deriki" in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, died at the age of 74 as a result of a heart attack he suffered in the Derik district of Mardin. Ay, who could not be saved despite all the doctors' interventions at the hospital where he was taken, was sent on his final journey with a funeral ceremony attended by a large number of people in his hometown.
Necmettin Ay, known by the nickname ‘Necmedine Deriki’ in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, suffered a heart attack in the morning hours in the Cevizpınar neighborhood of Derik district.
Ay, who was taken to Derik State Hospital, was referred to Mardin Training and Research Hospital after initial intervention. Ay could not be saved despite all the doctors’ efforts here.
LAID TO REST IN TEARS
The funeral of Ay, known for the cassettes he released and the works he performed, was handed over to his family after procedures at the hospital. Ay was buried in tears in the family cemetery in Cevizpınar neighborhood, with a funeral ceremony attended by many people.
"AS DERIK, WE ARE IN MOURNING"
Mustafa Eriten, President of the Derik Mazıdağı Culture and Solidarity Association, said, “Necmettin Ay did a lot for Kurdish music. He is known in the region as ‘Necmedine Deriki’. As Derik, we are in mourning. He died due to a heart attack; he was 74 years old. May God have mercy on him, our condolences to all of us,” he said.
Mehmet Perinçek, who stated that he worked with Ay, said, “I worked together with Necmettin Ay at the university’s Dormitory Institution in Diyarbakır. He was a musician and dengbej of our region; he played the saz. He was someone much loved in the region. May God have mercy on him. Derik is currently in mourning. It is a great loss for our region. I wish condolences and patience to his family,” he said.