Turkey's veteran journalist dies at 88

Çetin Altan, prominent author, journalist, columnist, and playwright, died in Istanbul on Thursday. He was 88.

There is no official statement of his death. He was hospitalized in June, but later discharged.

Born on 22 June 1927 in Istanbul, Çetin Altan studied at Galatasaray High School and Ankara University Law School.

He began his career as a reporter for the Ulus newspaper. His first book was published in 1946.

Between 1965 and 1969, Altan served as an MP in Turkey's first socialist party to win parliamentary represantation, the Labor Party.

The well-known author was jailed for 15 days in 1972. Charged with spreading Communist propaganda in his articles, he spent two years in prison.

He penned numerous books and 10 plays, most of which have been staged. Most of his works have been translated into foreign languages, including Spanish, French, Greek and Bulgarian.

He is the author of "The Great Surveillance" (1972) and "Whisky" (1975), as well as poems and plays such as "Criminals" (1965).

In his later years, he was a columnist for Milliyet newspaper.

With a career spanning several decades, Altan is known as one of the world's most prolific columnists.

He is survived by two sons who have achieved prominence in their own right –- journalist Ahmet Altan and Mehmet Altan, economist and instructor at Istanbul University.