Meral Çetinkaya

She was born in Bursa. After completing high school at the American Girls' College, she went to the USA with the scholarship she won and studied art history. After returning to Turkey, she met theater while translating for an Irish director for a play to be performed at the Kenter Theatre. She has taken part in many plays at ‘Dostlar Theater’ since 1969.

She stepped onto the big screen in 1973 with the movie ‘Agri Dagi’nin Gazabi’. She received the 'Best Supporting Actress Award' at the ‘18th Golden Orange Film Festival’ with the movie 'Hazal' in 1979. Her television career started in 1986 with the TV series 'Sizi'. She became known for her character 'Ayla' in the phenomenon TV series 'Bizimkiler', which aired between 1989 and 2002. The actress, who has taken part in many projects throughout her career, won the 'Best Actress' award at '4 Ankara Film Festivals' for her performance in the movie 'Suyun Ote Yani'; She was deemed worthy of the 'Best Supporting Actress Award' at the '34 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival' for her performance in the movie ‘Solgun Sari Bir Gul’.

In 2005, she was selected as the 'Best Actress' at the 'Lions-Theater Awards' for her role in the play 'The Good Person of Sezuan', staged at the Bakırköy Municipal Theater. In 2007, she starred with Genco Erkal in Samuel Beckett's play 'The End of the Game', staged by 'Dostlar Theatre'. She staged this play at theater festivals in countries such as France and Germany and was awarded the 'Vasif Ongoren Award'. Meral Cetinkaya received the 'Achievement Award' given to women who have been successful in different fields of cinema at the '11th Ucan Supurge Uluslararasi Kadin Filmleri Festivali' in the name of 'Bilge Olgac' and the 'Best Supporting Actress Award' at the '3rd Antalya Television Awards' for her performance in the TV series ‘Time Goes By’. She was deemed worthy of the Supporting Actress Award. She won the '41th Istanbul Film Festival Cinema Honorary Award' in 2022.