Suna Kıraç

Suna Koç was born to Vehbi Koç (1901-1996), the wealthiest businessman of Turkey, and his wife Sadberk (1908–1973) on June 3, 1941. She is the vice president of the Koç Holding. She married to İnan Kıraç, then a high-level executive of the Koç Holding. As they were unable to have a baby, they adopted a four-month old baby girl named İpek in their 15th marriage year.

She experienced the first symptoms of her illness shortly after her father's death and her involvement in the family business. In 1996, she suffered aphonia. The next year, her hands began to asleep, and one year later, she began to lisp. She was diagnosed Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a specific disease that causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles, in the Houston Methodist Hospital.

Kıraç got paralyzed on her entire body in 2000. She can not make any movement, walk and talk so that she can transmit her messages only by eye movement. When she wants to express a will, she winks for the right letter on a Turkish alphabet show card.

Suna and Kıraç established a foundation for culture and education. The foundation opened the Pera Museum in 2005, which exhibits three valuable art collections of Kıraç Family.

Suna Kıraç was awarded the State Medal of Distinguished Service by the Turkish Council of Ministers for her contributions to education, health and social services in the country on 23 September 1997. She received the award from President Süleyman Demirel on 27 October 1997.

In 2008, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the Boğaziçi University for her contribution to education.

In 1998, she published an autobiography, in which she wrote her life, her marriage, how she adopted her daughter İpek, her professional years, her illness and her dreams.

• Ömrümden Uzun İdeallerim Var!, 1998 ("I Have Ideals Longer Than My Life!").