World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkish folk music singer Ali Özütemiz, widely known as Kıvırcık Ali (Curled Ali), died as a result of a traffic accident in İstanbul's Çatalca district on Tuesday.

Özütemiz's car overturned at about 5.30 a.m. as he was heading to the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation's (TRT) studios to shoot a TV show. His body was taken to a nearby morgue.

Özütemiz's manager, Uğur Özayvaz, told reporters that the singer left his house early Tuesday morning to shoot his show at 1 p.m. “The roads were slippery and it [the car] overturned. The TRT told me about the situation,” he said.

The singer's producer, Mustafa Kaçmaz, said they were shocked upon hearing the news.

An eyewitness who works at a parking lot near the scene of the accident said he heard a noise at first and saw Özütemiz's car overturning. “I run to help but he was stuck inside. The emergency teams arrived soon, but they couldn't get him out,” the witness said.

Özütemiz's body will be buried on Wednesday following a ceremony at Er Mahmut Dede Cemevi in İstanbul's Avcılar district. The 42-year-old singer had two children.