Obit

Henry Parwani, 67

HONG KONG journalist Henry Parwani died June 23, Tuesday night. He was 67.

Parwani died in his wife Rita’s arms after initially experiencing shortness of breath after feeing unwell, which later rapidly deteriorated until he collapsed. His wife said Parwani “had a heart condition but it had been under control. (“Veteran Hong Kong journalist Henry Parwani dies aged 67,” South China Morning Post, June 25, 2015)

Parwani joined the Hong Kong Standard in the 1960s as a reporter before getting hired by The Star, an English language tabloid launched in 1965. He became the newspaper’s managing editor after returning from New Zealand where he and his family had lived. By the 1980s, he took over the now defunct tabloid The Sun, before rejoining the Hong Kong Standard as executive editor. He later pursued a career in media consultancy. (“Ex-editor dies at 67,” The Standard, June 25, 2015)

Friends of Parwani said “he would be remembered as ‘a larger-than-life and well respected member of the profession.’”

He is survived by his wife Rita, his daughter Audrey, son-in-law Nick, and grandson Aiden.

Cüneyt Arcayürek, 87

TURKISH JOURNALIST Cüneyt Arcayürek died June 23, Tuesday, due to multiple organ failure. He had been under treatment in a private hospital in Ankara since May 13 until his death. He was 87. (“Veteran Turkish journalist dies aged 87,” Hürriyet Daily News, June 23, 2015)

Arcayürek began his journalism career at Ulus (The Nation) newspaper of the Republican People’s Party in 1947. Later on in his long career, he also worked with the newspapers Hürriyet, Tercüman and Milliyet, and the wire services. He was also editor-in-chief of a Milliyet daily supplement and co-hosted a political debate show on TV.

He won a “journalist of the year” award for his report on “Johnson’s letter,” a letter written by then US President Lyndon Johnson in 1974 to then Prime Minister İsmet İnönü, which demanded that Turkey not intervene in Cyprus. (“Veteran Turkish journalist dies at age of 87,” Today’s Zaman, June 23, 2015)

Arcayürek also wrote books on Turkish political history, and was the first journalist to enter Cyprus after the 1974 Peace Operation. He was also former advisor to President Süleyman Demirel, the ninth president of Turkey.