Heart attack
Barzan Qalay Khaluz, Kurdish icon of political satire, dies at 63
SULAYMANIYAH — Barzan Qader, a prominent Kurdish actor and theater performer known as Barzan Qalay Khaluz, died on Tuesday evening in Sulaymaniyah at the age of 63, according to hospital officials.
Barzan Qalay Khaluz, celebrated for his contributions to comedy and satire in the Kurdistan Region, suffered a heart attack earlier on Tuesday. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Sulaymaniyah but died later that evening, Niyaz Nuri, head of the Kurdistan Artists’ Syndicate, told 964media.
The Directorate of Culture and Arts of Sulaymaniyah released a statement expressing deep sorrow over his passing: “With profound sadness, on behalf of the General Directorate of Culture and Arts of Sulaymaniyah, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Kak Barzan,” the statement read. It added, “Kak Barzan, beyond being a dedicated activist and veteran Peshmerga, was a talented and experienced artist and media personality.” In Kurdish, ‘Kak’ is an honorific roughly corresponding to ‘Mr.’
Born in 1961 in the Kani Askan neighborhood of Sulaymaniyah, Qalay Khaluz left school early to work with his father. At 18, he joined the Peshmerga forces. Following the Kurdish uprising in 1991, he gained fame on the “Kashkul” program, contributing significantly to its popularity.
He was a founding member of Khak TV and a major figure on the “Barnamay Barnama” show, a popular Kurdish sitcom. After its conclusion in 2010, he briefly stepped away from television until the show’s revival in 2024.
Barzan Qalay Khaluz was married in 1992 and was the father of two sons and a daughter, Ezmera, Darin, and Darian. His life was marked by personal tragedy when his son Darian died in a traffic accident at the age of 18, an tragedy that deeply affected him.