#Westport CT– It is with great sorrow we announce the untimely passing of Westport Firefighter Turk Aksoy who succumbed to an occupational cancer earlier today. He was 46 years old. Firefighter Aksoy was a 13-year veteran of the Westport Fire Department, and worked many years prior as a paramedic.

Firefighter Aksoy was predeceased by his wife Denise in January of 2019. He leaves behind two children. Turk will be memorialized by the Westport Firefighters, Local 1081 and the Westport Fire Department; the details of his services are still pending. Please keep Turk’s children, his family, friends and fellow firefighters in your thoughts for strength and healing in this difficult time. Donations can be made in Turk’s memory and in support of his children at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-firefighter-turk-aksoy-and-children

Occupational cancer has proven to be the new epidemic we face in the fire service, far too many members of the fire service have been lost to this relentless illness. Rest in Peace Turk, you have served your community with tremendous honor and will be greatly missed. “And, you know, it’s not easy. Every morning you wake up and you got to put your feet on the floor because you have a family looking after you and hopefully, you know, I’ll go back to work tonight actually, and then tomorrow I’m back in New York City starting chemo again. You know, and that’ll wipe me out for three days until I have to go back to work again. You know, and it’s tough on my kids, and it’s tough on my wife…”

FF Aksoy to CT House Labor Committee, testifying in support of presumptive cancer legislation, 2016