Aysel Gürel

Gönül Aysel Gürel (7 February 1929 – 17 February 2008) was a Turkish lyricist and actress. Besides her lyrics, which were performed by singers throughout Turkey, she was known for her outlandish clothing, make up and wigs. Aysel Gürel was born in 1929 in Denizli, Turkey, in the western part of the country. She graduated from Istanbul University with a faculty of literature degree. Her lyrics were performed by such noted Turkish singers as Sezen Aksu. Besides lyric writing, Gürel also worked as an actress, drama player and a Turkologist. In 2007, Gürel appeared in a Turkish television commercial for Pepsi. Gürel was admitted to Metropolitan Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul in December 2007. She was reportedly ill with lung cancer. She died of chronic bronchitis at the age of 79 on 17 February 2008 in Istanbul. Gürel was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery following a funeral at Teşvikiye Mosque. Gürel was the mother of Turkish actresses, Müjde Ar and Mehtap Ar.