Zeliha Berksoy

Zeliha Berksoy — Biography

Zeliha Berksoy is a Turkish theatre and film actress born in 1946 in Istanbul. The daughter of celebrated opera singer and painter Semiha Berksoy, she trained at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory.

Over her career she has taken leading roles in works by major Turkish and foreign playwrights, becoming especially known for the Brecht recitals she has staged since 1972. In 1978 she helped establish the Theatre Department at the Istanbul State Conservatory, and in 1990 she founded the Bakırköy Municipal Theatre, serving as its general artistic director for five years. She was awarded the title of professor in theatre arts in 2000.

On screen, she reached wider audiences with her role in the 2002 film Güz Sancısı. In interviews reflecting on more than fifty years in academia and on stage, she continues to speak with deep attachment to the theatre.