French pianist Stephane Blet dies at age 52

PARIS/GENEVA

French pianist Stephane Blet, known for his admiration for Turkiye and Turkish culture, died at the age of 52 in Geneva.

Blet died after falling from an apartment balcony in Geneva on Friday, one of his relatives confirmed to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.

The relative claimed that though the musician's death was made to look like a suicide, he was healthy and planning a live social media broadcast for the evening he passed away.

French journalist Pierre Jovanovic said on Twitter that on Monday, he would pay tribute to Blet, who he said "left to join the angels" on Jan. 7 in Geneva.

YouTuber Jim le Veilleur, who has produced many programs with Blet, also said the pianist was not suicidal, but had financial problems.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Blet's death, his advisor Dilek Akyurek said she knew the pianist since September last year and helped in planning his activities.

Akyurek said Blet went to Switzerland to visit a friend on Jan. 7 and that he was planning to go to France to visit his mother before returning to Turkiye on Jan. 25.

She said Blet had faced health issues before and that he was not careful about his health, though she said she did not think he committed suicide.

Noting that Blet had received death threats in his final years, Akyurek said: "Even though no one directly caused his death, many people worked together so that he would die, psychologically."

The famous pianist, known for his fascination with Turkey and Turkish culture, had lived in Turkey since 2016.

Blet had performed in a concert in 2018 to support Turkish troops fighting the YPG/PKK terrorist organization in northern Syria during the country's Operation Olive Branch.

He filed a criminal complaint against YPG/PKK terror group sympathizers on social media for death threats against him in 2019.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.