Background
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.
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). 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.
Her husband"s profession paved her the way for entry into the world of cinema.
Maral Okay became known for roles in Turkish films and television series. She also produced the television series, Second Spring from 1998 to 2001.
Foreign one of her last projects, Okay worked as the main screenwriter for the historical soap opera, Muhteşem Yüzyıl, based on the life of Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Her husband Yaman Okay died in 1993 at the age of 41 from pancreatic cancer.
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.