Şafak Karali, Kocaeli City Theatres Co-Founder, Dies at 57
The founding artist of Kocaeli City Theatres was buried in Kocaeli after a funeral ceremony.
Turkish theatre and TV actor Şafak Karali has died at the age of 57. He was laid to rest in Kocaeli on 9 November 2026, according to Sabah. Karali was one of the founding artists of Kocaeli City Theatres (Kocaeli Şehir Tiyatroları), where he worked for nearly three decades.
Sabah reports that he died at Kocaeli City Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment. The report does not state the cause of death or the exact date, and we do not speculate on either.
Funeral held in İzmit with officials and artists
A ceremony took place at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Centre before the funeral prayer. Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş attended, along with figures from cinema, theatre and the wider arts community.
Karali’s family and relatives then received condolences at the Akşemseddin Mosque in the Yahyakaptan neighbourhood of İzmit. After the noon prayer, he was buried at the Kent Cemetery (the city cemetery).
Şafak Karali’s career at Kocaeli City Theatres
Karali was born in Ankara in 1969. He graduated from the Acting Department of Ankara University’s Faculty of Language and History-Geography (Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi).
Since 1998 he had worked at Kocaeli City Theatres, an ensemble he helped found. That long link with one regional company shows how much Turkish stage life depends on theatres outside Istanbul and Ankara. Many actors who appear on television first build their craft on such stages.
Sabah describes Karali as both a theatre and TV actor. The report does not list his television roles, and we have not confirmed a full credit list from an official or primary source. We will add verified screen credits if reliable details become available.
What the tribute tells us
The presence of the governor and colleagues from the arts at the ceremony reflects the standing Karali held in Kocaeli’s cultural community. For international viewers of Turkish series, his career is a reminder that many familiar supporting faces come from long theatre careers away from the big studios.
Source: Sabah
Featured image: Sabah
