Meral Okay

Meral Okay (Turkish pronunciation: [meˈɾal oˈkaj]) (September 20, 1959 – April 9, 2012), née Meral Katı, was a Turkish actress, film producer and screenwriter.

Early years

She was born on September 20, 1959 in Ankara 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" (Turkish: Toprak Mahsulleri Ofisi, TMO).

During the 1980 Turkish coup d'état 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 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 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.