Researcher and writer (b. 2 March 1948, Topçali
village / Kahramanmaraş). His master’s thesis was “Vakıflar” (Foundations, 1980). His PhD thesis was “Kültür ve Müessesler Tarihi” (History of Culture and Institutions, 1990). He
worked at the Department of Religious Affairs (1968-74). In the General
Directorate of Religious Foundations he worked he as provincial assistant
district manager, as a district manager, branch manager, department president,
an assistant general director and central deputy general director (1975-1996).
When he was deputy general director he was also Minister of Information. He was
appointed Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture in 1997. He also
worked as an advisor to the ministry for a while and later retired with the
title Deputy Undersecretary in 2000. In the same year and in 2002 he was
elected as the General President of the Writers Union of Turkey.
He organized the activities for the 25th anniversary of the foundation
of the Writers Union of Turkey in 2003 as general president and organized 35
national and international activities. Among these activities, between 16-18
October 2003 in Strasbourg in France, he arranged the program of the 5th
Turkish International Poetry Festival held with the attendance of more than 150
poets, scientists, artists and dialect experts from all over the world. He has
carried out research and observations in the Far and Middle East, Caucasia, the
Balkans, Western European countries and the United States.
His first article with the title Sergüzeşt
(Adventure) appeared in the newspaper Gonca in 1966 and his first poem Seni Düşünürüm (I Think of You) in the
review Tek Yol in 1972. His other works have appeared in the reviews Gonca,
Diyanet, Vakiflar, Vakıf Haftası Kitabı, İslâmîAraştırmalar, Türk Dünyası, İlim
ve Sanat, Yeni Türkiye, Hareket Mavera, Hilâl, Ay Vakti Bizim Külliye, Sütçü
İmam, Yol Kültürü the newspaper Zaman and others. He won the Writers
Union of Turkey Award in the field of research with his work titled Türk Yenileşme Tarihi Çerçevesinde Vakıf
Müessesesi (Religious Foundations within the Framework of Turkish
Regeneration History). He is known for the research he has carried out on
religious foundation culture and foundation institutions.
WORKS:
Menşe’i
ve Tarihi Gelişimi Açısından Vakiflar (Religious Foundations in Relation to their Origin
and Historical Development 1983), Türk
Yenileşme Tarihi Çerçevesinde Vakıf Müessesesi
(Religious Foundations in
the framework of Turkish Regeneration History, 1995), Elmalılı M. Hamdi Gözü İle Vakıflar (Religious Foundations from the
view of Elmalılı M.Hamdi, 1995), Sümbüliye
Tarikatı ve Koca Mustafa Paşa Külliyesi (The Sümbüliye Religious Order and
the Institutional Buildings of Koca Mustafa Paşa, 1999), Azınlık Vakıfları
(Minority Foundations, 2003).
He has also translated works.
REFERENCE: Osman Kuntman / Menşe’i ve Tarihî Gelişimi Açısından Vakıflar (İstanbul Barosu, 1985), Hasan Yüksel / Batılılaşma Sürecinde Vakıflar (Tarih ve Toplum, Ekim 1996), 3. Sektör (Nisan 1996), Tuncer Baykara / Kitabiyat (Türk Yurdu, Ocak 1997), Mustafa Çetin Baydar / Osmanlı’nın Sırları Yahut Sümbülî Bağından Fışkıran Hayat (Muhalif, 2-6.6.2000), İhsan Işık / Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) - 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), Nazif Öztürk ile Söyleşi (Ay Vakti dergisi, 19. Sayı, Nisan 2002).
