Ece İrtem: Possible monkey bite in Thailand is a new hypothesis in the investigation into the death of the Turkish actress
The investigation into the death of Turkish actress Ece İrtem, famous for her performance as Hande in the television production “Mother’s Heart”, received an important development. The artist’s legal representative, Uğur Gökkoyun, filed a formal request with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, requesting that an alleged monkey bite, which occurred during a trip to Thailand, be included as one of the lines of investigation to determine the cause of death.
Ece İrtem, who was prominent in Turkish productions such as “Yeni Gelin” (2017) and “Yasak Elma” (between 2018 and 2023), died last Monday, June 15th. The artist had just turned 35 the day before. Relatives of the actress have been looking for clarification about the event that led to her sudden death.
Lawyer Gökkoyun explained that the distrust emerged after talking to the actress’s family and observing three scar marks on her left arm. According to reports that came to the defender’s attention, these injuries were the result of a monkey bite suffered by Ece during a recent trip to Thailand.
In a statement to Turkish journalist Birsen Altuntaş, the actress’s legal representative stated that she had sought the opinion of experts to understand the potential consequences of the incident. He revealed that he had been warned that injuries resulting from monkey bites can, on rare occasions, cause serious complications, such as sepsis – a condition known as generalized infection, where pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins spread throughout the body, affecting multiple vital organs.
“Given the presence of three scars on the left arm of my client, Ece İrtem, family members reported that she suffered a monkey bite during a previous trip to Thailand. In discussions with health professionals, we obtained information that this type of injury is capable of causing fatal consequences, such as sepsis. As a result, today we filed a request for this possibility to also be considered in the autopsy analysis”, said the lawyer.
The Turkish authorities, to date, have not made public the official results of the expert examinations that could establish the exact cause of death. The request formalized by the defense seeks to ensure that the potential connection with complications arising from the bite, which allegedly occurred, is duly incorporated into the scope of the technical investigations.
A few days before his death, more precisely on June 10, Ece had shared on his Instagram account a series of photos where he appeared happy, wearing a red outfit with a print, on his way through South Asian nations.
The actress’s funeral took place last Wednesday, the 17th, in Kuşadası, a city located in the western coastal region of Türkiye. The farewell ceremony brought together loved ones, friends and co-workers, and was marked by deep emotion. During the wake, the artist’s mother felt unwell and needed the support of those present.
