Historian (b. 1914, Soğanlı village / Çaykara / Trabzon - d. 17
January 1978, İstanbul). After he
finished primary school in Çaykara, secondary school in Bayburt and high
school, which he had begun in Trabzon, in Ankara, he graduated from Ankara
University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography (1940). He joined the
faculty he had graduated from as an assistant. His doctorate thesis was, “On İki Hayvanlık Türk Takvimi” (The Turkish Calendar with Twelve
Animals, 1941). He became associate professor in 1944 and began to give courses
on Turkish-Islamic History. His interest in Seljuk History gradually increased.
He presented a paper with the name “Selçuklu
Türkiyesi Toprak Hukuku” (Land Law
in Seljuk Turkey) at the International Orientalists Congress in Paris in 1948.
He did research in Paris and London (1948 -50). He became a professor in 1951.
He was elected parliamentary deputy of Trabzon for the Democrat Party in 1954.
He continued his work in the parliament until the 1960 Revolution. He was the
General President of the Turkish Association, the main office of which was
moved to Ankara.
He wrote many
articles in the newspaper Türk Yurdu
of which he joined the management. After 27 May 1960, he was arrested with
prominent people of the Democrat Party in Yassıada and stayed under arrest for
sixteen and a half months. After he was released, even though he wanted to
return to work at Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and
Geography, he was not allowed to give lectures although he was paid his salary.
Entering politics again, he was appointed as assistant to the General President
of the Justice Party in 1964 and after one year he entered parliament as the
Trabzon deputy (1965). He left politics in 1969. After he retired in 1972, he
concentrated on his scientific studies. He was married to Sâtıa Sultan, a
descendant of the Ottoman royal dynasty; they did not have any children. He was
known for his studies on Turkish-Islam Civilization.
WORKS:
Türkiye Selçukluları Hakkında
Resmî Vesikalar (Official Documents about the
Seljuk People in Turkey, 1958),
Selçuklular Tarihi ve Türk-İslâm Medeniyeti (History of the Seljuk State
and Turkish-Islam Civilization, 1965),
Türk Cihan Hakimiyeti Mefkûresi Tarihi (History of the Turkish World’s
Ideal of Sovereignty, 2 books, 1969),
Selçuklular ve İslâmiyet (The Seljuk State and Islam, 1971), Doğu Anadolu Türk Devletleri Tarihi (History
of East Anatolian Turkish States, 1973),
Türkiye'de Manevi Buhran Din ve Laiklik (Spiritual Crisis in Turkey,
Religion and Secularism, 1964),
Türkiye'de Komünizmin Kaynakları (Origins of Communism in Turkey, 1965), Vatanda Gurbet (Being Abroad at Home,
1980), Türkiye'de Siyasî Buhran'ın
Kaynakları (Origins of Political Crisis in Turkey, 1980).
REFERENCE: Yurt Ansiklopedisi (c. 10, 1974), Büyük Larousse Ansiklopedisi (c. 23, 1986), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Nevzat Topal / Prof. Dr. Osman Turan Hayatı ve Eserleri (2004), Remzi Demir – Doğan Atılgan / Dil ve Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi ve Türkiye’de Beşeri Bilimlerin Yeniden İnşası- Elli Portre (2008), TBMM Albümü 2. Cilt 1950-1980 (2010).
