Meral Okay (, née Katı; September 20, 1959 – April 9, 2012) was a Turkish

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, film producer and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

Early life

Okay was born on September 20, 1959, in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

to military judge Ata Katı and Türkan as the second child. During her childhood, she moved with her family across Turkey due to her father's duty. After completing the high school in Ankara, she began working at the governmental agency "Turkish Grain Board" (, TMO). During the

1980 Turkish coup d'état The 1980 Turkish coup d'état (), headed by Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren, was the third coup d'état in the history of the Republic of Turkey, the previous having been the 1960 coup and the 1971 coup by memorandum. During ...

era, she was a member of the socialist Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) and union spokesperson at her workplace. In 1983, Meral Katı moved to

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

to enter the daily ''Günaydın''. She later contributed to the establishment of the publication company "İletişim", and took part in the team that prepared the Turkish edition of ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'' magazin. She married in 1984 to stage and movie actor Yaman Okay, she had already met in Ankara. Her husband's profession paved her the way for entry into the world of cinema.

Career

Meral Okay became known for roles in Turkish

films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...

and

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

. She also produced the television series, '' Second Spring'' from 1998 to 2001. For one of her last projects, Okay worked as the main screenwriter for the historical TV series, '' Muhteşem Yüzyıl'', based on the life of Ottoman sultan

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

Family life

Her husband Yaman Okay died in 1993 at the age of 41 from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. In the summer months of 2011, Meral Okay was diagnosed with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

. She died from complications of the disease on April 9, 2012, at the age of 52. Following the religious funeral at Bebek Mosque, she was buried beside her husband's grave at the

Zincirlikuyu Cemetery The Zincirlikuyu Cemetery () is a modern burial ground in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of politics, business, sports and arts rest here. The ce ...

. For her role in the movie '' Beynelmilel'', she was awarded "Best Supporting Actress" at the 2007 International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival.

Filmography

Her notable works are:

As actress

As screenwriter

Other

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Okay, Meral 1959 births 2012 deaths Actresses from Ankara Turkish people of Circassian descent Turkish film actresses Turkish television actresses Turkish women film producers Turkish female screenwriters 20th-century Turkish actresses 21st-century Turkish actresses 21st-century Turkish screenwriters Deaths from lung cancer in Turkey Burials at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery