Writer Mehmet Güreli Adopts Goddaughter Görkem Yeltan

Usta writer and musician Mehmet Güreli has won a court case to officially adopt his goddaughter, the acclaimed actress Görkem Yeltan. Yeltan has been a steadfast presence, offering support to Güreli through challenging periods.

Born in Istanbul on April 7, 1949, Güreli completed his secondary education at Istanbul Boys' High School and the Austrian High School. He pursued philosophy at Istanbul University for two years before beginning his career at the Hürriyet newspaper in 1976. Later, he focused on an independent artistic path, establishing Nisan Yayınları publishing house.

Güreli, nephew of the writer Salâh Birsel, has explored diverse artistic fields, including literature, music, cinema, and painting. He began his literary journey with short stories, publishing his first collection, "Sıcak Bir Göz," in 1985. Subsequent works like "Bedrufi’nin Nefesi," "Alope’nin Odası," and "Şehirli Karınca" followed. His literary success was marked by awards such as the Yunus Nadi Short Story Award and the Vedat Türkali Literature Award for "Şehirli Karınca."

In music, Güreli developed a distinctive style by merging jazz and blues elements with Turkish music. His debut album, "Vapurlar/Blues," was released in 1988, followed by cult works like "Cihangirde Bir Gece" (1995), "Yağmur" (1999), "Ondan Sonra" (2007), and "Zamboni Sokağı" (2017). His compositions, particularly "Kimse Bilmez" (with lyrics by Omar Khayyam) and "Uçurtma," gained widespread recognition.

Güreli has also contributed to cinema as both a director and actor. He directed films such as "Vapurlar" (1986) and "Gölge" (2008). As an actor, he appeared in notable Turkish productions like the series "İkinci Bahar" and films including "Gönül Yarası," "Av Mevsimi," and "Gişe Memuru." His visual arts career includes over twenty solo exhibitions in Turkey and abroad, focusing on figurative works on canvas, initially starting with cartoons.

Güreli continues his interdisciplinary artistic endeavors from his home in Istanbul.