A MasterChef winner has died suddenly aged 37.
TV cook Eren Kaşıkçı was found dead at his home after relatives raised the alarm when they could not reach him.
The 37-year-old’s body was discovered unresponsive in the bedroom by his business partner who had been asked to check on him on Wednesday afternoon (29 July).
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Paramedics confirmed his death at the scene and the body was taken for an autopsy to establish the exact cause.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the celebrity chef’s sudden death.
His business partner Mikail Malkoçoğlu told local media that initial assessments at the victim’s home in Istanbul, Turkey, pointed to a “strong possibility” of a heart attack.
Eren, who had 740,000 Instagram fans, shot to fame after winning the 2021 season of MasterChef Türkiye and later returned for the show’s All Star series.
Known by his nickname Kızıl Sakal, meaning Red Beard, he opened his own restaurant Kızıl Sakal Sandwich & Burger in Istanbul following his victory and had been preparing to expand with a new branch.
He studied tourism and trained professionally as a chef, working in Istanbul hotels before becoming head chef at a hotel on the Aegean island of Gökçeada.
Eren is survived by his wife and their young daughter Maya.
A funeral ceremony is due to take place at Yenidoğan Cemevi before burial in his family’s home province of Tokat today (31 July), as reported by Need To Know.
The investigation continues.
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