Investigation into the death of Ece İrtem, actress from ‘Mother’s Heart’, now considers monkey bite in Thailand
The unexpected death of Turkish actress Ece İrtem, known in Brazil for her performance as Hande in the soap opera “Coração de Mãe”, on Record, has gained a new development in recent weeks. The artist’s lawyer, Uğur Gökkoyun, presented a formal request to the Turkish Public Prosecutor’s Office so that an alleged monkey bite, which occurred during a trip to Thailand, be included as one of the lines of investigation by the expert responsible for clarifying the cause of death.
Ece İrtem was found dead at her residence in Istanbul on June 15, the day after her 35th birthday. To date, Turkish authorities have not released the official results of the tests that could determine what really caused the actress’ death, keeping the case under investigative secrecy.
Actress’ defense requests analysis of new lead in the case
According to information revealed by the lawyer in an interview with Turkish journalist Birsen Altuntaş, the actress’s family reported that she had suffered a monkey bite during a recent trip to Thailand. The suspicion of a possible relationship with the death was raised after the identification of three notable scars on the artist’s left arm.
Before formalizing the request with the Public Ministry, Gökkoyun stated that experts were consulted to assess the relevance of the new information. The main objective is for experts to consider the hypothesis that a possible infection, resulting from the wound caused by the animal’s bite, may have contributed to the cause of death.
The lawyer highlighted the seriousness of the situation in his statement to the press. “Following the discovery of three scars on my client Ece İrtem’s left arm, family members reported that she was bitten by a monkey during a trip to Thailand. In consultations with specialists, we learned that this type of injury can cause fatal consequences, including sepsis. For this reason, today we are submitting a request for this hypothesis to also be evaluated during the autopsy”, detailed Gökkoyun, highlighting the potential for serious complications that a primate bite can cause, such as bacterial infections or viral infections that lead to sepsis.
Final records on social media and goodbye to the artist
Days before his death, Ece İrtem had shared several images on his Instagram profile from a trip to South Asian countries. In the photographs published on June 10, the actress appeared smiling and relaxed during her tour of the region.
So far, there is no confirmation that the actress has developed a clinical condition directly related to the alleged incident with the monkey. The inclusion of this hypothesis represents just one of the multiple lines of investigation being analyzed by Turkish authorities.
Ece İrtem’s body was buried on Wednesday, the 17th, in the city of Kuşadası, located on the west coast of Türkiye. The funeral ceremony brought together family, friends and professional colleagues in an atmosphere of great commotion. During the wake, the actress’s mother needed medical help after feeling unwell due to the intensity of the emotion.
In addition to his participation in “Coração de Mãe”, Ece İrtem built a solid career on Turkish television, acting in several successful productions. She also had a degree in opera and singing from Yaşar University. The actress’ death is still surrounded by questions, while her family anxiously awaits the conclusion of the tests that should finally clarify the official cause of death.
