Öykü Karayel

Öykü Karayel — Biography

Öykü Karayel is a Turkish stage, film and television actress best known for playing Cemre Çayak in Kuzey Güney and Meryem in Bir Başkadır, released internationally as Ethos. Born on 20 August 1990 in Istanbul as a twin, she graduated from Çemberlitaş Girls High School, trained briefly at Kenter Theatre and entered the Theatre Department of the State Conservatory of Istanbul University in 2007. While still a student she won the role of Ayşe in the play Güzel Şeyler Bizim Tarafta, earning the Efes Special Award and the Theatre Critics Association's Young Talent Award at the 16th Sadri Alışık Awards; the performance drew the attention of screenwriter Ece Yörenç and producer Kerem Çatay, leading to her casting in Kuzey Güney. She went on to play İpek in Kara Para Aşk and Dilruba Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl Kösem, then led Kalp Atışı as Eylül Erdem; her role in the film İşe Yarar Bir Şey won her a Best Supporting Actress award in 2018. In 2020 she gained international recognition as Meryem in Bir Başkadır, later appearing in Kaderimin Oyunu and the international series Kin. Married to singer Can Bonomo, with whom she has a son, Roman, born in 2021, she traveled to Ireland in 2026 for Kin's third season and starred in Özcan Deniz's film Son Yemek.