Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Friday announced the news of columnist and novelist Alev Alatlı's passing on his social media account.
Koca, noting that Alatlı had been under treatment for some time, stated: "When I visited her, she said, 'We should make these lands beloved even more.' I interpreted this statement as a bequest to intellectuals, leaders, and everyone with the power to influence the present and future of our country."
Emphasizing that Alatlı was one of the great figures in the intellectual and artistic life, Koca said: "In 2014, she was honored with many awards, including the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Prize in the literature category. Our condolences to all of us."
