Veteran entertainment writer Ali Sar, a native of Turkey, was named Friday president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that annually presents the Golden Globe Awards.

Sar will fill the seat left vacant by last week’s death of Lorenzo Soria at age 68. Sar was serving as vice president, and has been with the HFPA for more than 35 years, according to the organization.

“We were shocked by Lorenzo’s untimely passing,” Sar said in a statement. “We are committed to the vision he had charted for HFPA.”

According to the HFPA, the Istanbul native has written for publications in Turkey and Argentina, and also works as a correspondent for the English language version of The Moscow Times. He also spent two decades with the Los Angeles Daily News.

Sar will fill out the remainder of Soria’s term as president, serving until June 2021.

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