VETERAN ACTOR-DIRECTOR KENAN PARS LAID TO REST

Today’s Zaman
March 13 2008
Turkey

Actors, fans and artists gathered yesterday at several ceremonies
to bid farewell to Kenan Pars, a renowned actor of Turkey’s cinema
history who passed away at the age of 88 on Monday.

Film director and actor Pars had been undergoing treatment for lung
cancer complicated by the flu for the past month.

At the first ceremony held yesterday morning for Pars, or Kirkor
Cezveciyan, his actual name, held at the Bakýrkoy Artists Association
(BASD) building, family, friends, fans and artists held a minute of
silence for the actor. In a speech she made during the ceremony, his
wife Dikran Uhi Cezveciyan thanked his fans who came to the ceremony.

The speakers emphasized Pars’ personality and his continuous struggle
to make his living environment and surroundings a better place for
the people around him. Bakýrkoy’s Regional Administrator (Kaymakam)
Dursun Ali Þahin also attended the ceremony and said in a speech
that Pars visited his office at least twice a week. He praised Pars,
saying he had dedicated his life to improving their neighborhood.

Bakýrkoy Mayor Ateþ Unal Erzen also praised Pars’ contributions to
the Bakýrkoy area.

Actors Ustun Asutay and Cihat Tamer, in separate speeches, said Pars,
an ethnic Armenian, had filled an important place in Turkish cinema,
adding he would never be forgotten. A second ceremony was held for
Pars in the afternoon at the Yunus Emre Culture Center. Muþfik Kenter,
another veteran thespian and an old friend of Pars, said in a eulogy
that he was very sorry for never having had the chance to play in
the same movie with the actor. Pars was laid to rest after a funeral
service at the Bakýrkoy Armenian Church.

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