The master pen of Turkish literature, Selim İleri, has been bid farewell on his final journey.

The author Selim İleri, who made significant contributions to Turkish literature with works such as "Destan Gönüller," "Yaşarken ve Ölürken," "Kırık Deniz Kabukları," and "İstanbul'un Sandık Odası," was honored with a funeral ceremony.

Following the noon prayer, the funeral prayer held at Üsküdar Vaniköy Mosque was attended by İleri's nephew Prof. Dr. Ferhat Nutku and his wife, who received condolences. The ceremony was attended by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, former President Abdullah Gül, actors Türkan Şoray, Nergis Çorakçı, Sumru Yavrucuk, Kerem Alışık, and academic writer Hasan Bülent Kahraman, along with many other figures from the literary and cinema world.

TÜRKAN ŞORAY: SPIRITUALLY VERY SAD

Renowned actress Türkan Şoray, who attended the ceremony, stated in her remarks to the press, "Losing a very close friend, someone you cherish and meet 2-3 times a week, is truly indescribable. It hurts spiritually. It happened unexpectedly. This is a situation that life brings, of course. We cannot say anything."

Şoray mentioned that she had spoken with İleri last week and had invited him to dinner for today, saying, "As I was preparing for dinner, I got ready to bid him farewell today. It affected me deeply. But he lived beautifully and was very loved. He leaves us by adding value to life. His books were widely read and loved. He will always remain in my heart as my dear friend."

KEREM ALIŞIK: A BIT OF AUTUMN, A BIT OF LONELINESS WAS SELIM İLERİ

Actor Kerem Alışık, in a statement to AA correspondent, pointed to İleri's personality, saying, "Selim İleri was a delicate and profound pen, just like himself. He was a novelist, a critic, and a screenwriter. He wrote and always wrote. In my opinion, he is the history and memory of Turkish literature. Selim İleri was a bit of autumn and a bit of loneliness."

Alışık, who was a family friend of İleri, stated that the conversations during the Kanlıca nights with his father Sadri Alışık, his uncle Attila İlhan, and his mother Çolpan İlhan would never be forgotten, saying, "He was a person we loved very much. He was a masterful pen. It was actually a broken love story, but he never broke anyone and took something from our hearts and left a piece of himself inside us. May his place be paradise. May God have mercy on him."

İleri's funeral, which was sent off with applause, was buried in the family cemetery at Sahrayıcedit Cemetery.