Speaking to BJP, a spokeswoman for the Sipa Press photo agency has confirmed that Gökşin Sipahioğlu died this morning after being admitted at the American Hospital of Paris on Monday morning.

Born in 28 December 1926, Sipahioğlu, a photojournalist himself, made his name in October 1962 when he was the only western photographer in Havana during the Cuban missile crisis. In 1973, he co-founded, with his partner Phyllis Springer, the Sipa Press agency, which specialised - and still does today - in international news.

"He managed the agency as a father," says Sipa Press in a stement released this morning.

"Sipahioğlu was the greatest photojournalist ever," Jean-François Leroy tells BJP. "He helped so many photographers - Abbas, Reza, Alexandra Boulat, Luc Delayahe, Patrick Chauvel, etc. - giving them their first assignments. The list is impressive - and is not limited to photographers. He also introduced picture vendors and editors."

He adds: "I remember when I was 20, I visited the Sipa Press offices. I asked to see him, and was told to wait. I thought then that he would never see me - an unknown man. But 10 minutes later I was in his office showing him a crap reportage. At the end of the meeting, I had 500 Francs and an assignment. I was a journalist."

"He had a unique position in this industry," Leroy continues. "He was a giant."

Sipa Press, which was sold to Sud Communication in 2001, has changed hands, again, last July after the German press agency DAPD announced it was buying all of Sipa's shares.

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