Biography
Koçyiğit's father is a Turkish immigrant from Bulgaria. She grew up in Istanbul and finished her secondary education in Ankara, where she attended Atatürk High School for Girls, currently Beşiktaş Atatürk Anadolu Lisesi. After she then enrolled in Ankara Academy of State Art's ballet department for education in the arts, she continued ballet department of Istanbul City Conservatory.
She joined Istanbul City Theatre during her middle education. After Muhsin Ertuğrul suggested, she studied in theatre department of Ankara State Conservatory.
Koçyiğit decided to venture into cinema in 1963 after she was the runner-up in a beauty contest organized by the magazine Ses (literally: Sound). Her debut film was the 1964 Susuz Yaz (Dry Summer), which went on to win the Golden Bear Award at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival. This honor was the first of its kind ever bestowed upon a Turkish movie. Derman, a film she starred in was the first Turkish film that played in five continents. Kurbağalar, another of her famous films was the first Turkish movie that was sold to international televisions. She received the distinction of "Turkish state artist" in 1991.
Lütfü Akad, Atıf Yılmaz, Şerif Gören, Metin Erksan, Orhan Aksoy, Memduh Ün, Ertem Eğilmez, Osman F. Seden, Halit Refiğ are some of the directors who have worked with Koçyiğit.
Koçyiğit holds the distinction of having won the most national and international awards as a Turkish actress.
In 2009, she starred in Altın Kızlar the Turkish TV adaptation of the famous American series, The Golden Girls. Koçyiğit played the role originated by Bea Arthur.
Her sisters Nilüfer Koçyiğit, Feryal Koçyiğit and her daughter Gülşah Alkoçlar were child actresses. In 1968, she married Selim Soydan, then a Fenerbahçe S.K. footballer. The couple have a daughter named Gülşah Alkoçlar. Her grandchild Neslişah Alkoçlar married actor Engin Altan Düzyatan.
Filmography
Series
- Macide Öğretmen
- Asla Unutma
- Nisan Yağmuru
- Altın Kızlar
Movies
Awards
Domestic festival awards
- Best Actress of the Year, Turkish Ministry of Tourism (1964)
- Woman of the Year, Turkish Women's Union (1964)
- Golden Orange (Antalya) for Cemile (1969)
- Golden Boll (Adana) for Zehra (1972)
- Golden Orange (Antalya) for Diyet (1975)
- Golden Orange (Antalya) for Derman (1984)
- Golden Orange (Antalya) for Karılar Koğuşu (1990)
- Golden Orange, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Golden Boll, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Çasot, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Istanbul Film Festival, Honorary Award
- Ankara Film Festival, Honorary Award
- Uçan Süpürge Film Festival, Honorary Award
- Siyad, Honorary Award
International film awards
- Most Successful Actress Award for Kurbağalar, Nantes Film Festival (1987)
- Best Actress Award for Bez Bebek, Amiens Film Festival (1988)
Foreign film festival appearances
- London Film Festival, for Derman
- Berlin Film Festival, for Susuz Yaz
- Mexico Film Festival, for Susuz Yaz
- Tehran Film Festival, for Gelin
- Tashkent Film Festival, for Almanya Acı Vatan
Film festival screenings
- Susuz Yaz Berlin Film Festival, Mexico Film Festival
- Gelin Tehran Film Festival
- Derman Karlovy Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, London Film Festival, Nantes Film Festival, Damascus Film Festival (She holds the greatest award), Tashkent Film Festival
- Kurbağalar Nantes Film Festival, Best Actress Award
- Yalan Dunya Antalya Film Festival
