Turcologist,
psychologist, writer, futurist and historian (B. 3rd May 1920,
Istanbul – D. 18th January 2010, Istanbul. His father was Halid Ziya
Bey and his mother was Saibe Hanım. He was from Hacıkadızadeler by origin,
Taşköprü, Kastamonu. He was the grandson of the brother of Ömer Fahrettin(Türkkan) Pasha, defender of Medina. Reha Oğuz Türkkan was from Hacıkadızadeler by
origin, Taşköprü / Kastamonu. Hacıkadızadeler had been kadi for six
generations. His father Halid Ziya Bey, born in Tire, became the general director
of land registry and cadastre due to his deep interest in maps and he was the
one who introduced cadastre to Turkey. Reha Oğuz Türkkan was close relatives to
Selim Türkkan Pasha and Orhan Türkkan Pasha (deputy of Kırklareli), who were
pensioned off due to their support for Adnan Menderes after 27th May
and who were the sons of Sıdıka Hanım and Ömer Fahrettin Pasha, the defender of
Medina. Ömer and Zeki Türkkan, who were senior managers of Kavala Holding and
who were the sons of Selim Türkan brother-in-law of Mehmet Kavala, who founded
Kavala Holding, were cousins of Osman Kavala.
Reha Oğuz was born in his eldest uncle Ziya
Paşa’s mansion in Erenköy. He received a very good education. He attended St.
Joseph High School, Galatasaray and Kabataş High School. He graduated from the
Faculty of Law, Ankara University. He did his post graduate at Istanbul
University. He specialized in History and Turcology in Sorbonne University and
in experimental psychology in Columbia University. His specialties include
psychology, futurism, law, history, authorship, publishing and socio- ethnography.
Between 1947 and 1972 he worked at Columbia and
The City College of New York (CCNY) Universities, the USA, between 1975 and
1976 at Istanbul University and then Ahmet Yesevî University (1996) in the position
of lecturer. He was considered one of the three Institutors of programmed
instruction with questions. He was assigned to do educational planning of four
states by the USA and he worked at Sunrise Open University as the educational
technology counselor when it was established. He established 124 institutes (four
of them were on speed reading and computer). He established Yaykur Open
University. In 1976 he worked at NASA as a counselor and examined Training by
Satellite in India.
Thousands of articles and researches of Reha
Oğuz Türkkan were released in various local and foreign magazines. He published Ergenekon magazine the day after Atatürk died. When his magazine
was closed down because of his article “Faşizm Tehlikedir” (T.N. Fascism is
dangerous), he founded the Bibliophile Society (Kitap Sevenler Kurumu). When it
was annexed to People’s community, he published Bozkurt magazine. He
published Gök Bürü magazine upon
controversy with foremost Pan-Turkists in Bozkurt
Magazine where he also released Hüseyin Nihal Atsız’s articles. He worked
at İstanbul Ticaret Odası Newspaper (Istanbul
Chamber of Commerce Newspaper) as a columnist on Business World in the USA and Turkey
He taught lessons on “Effects of Psychology on
Success in Business World and How to Apply It” and “Persuasion Psychology and
Sales Techniques” in the USA. He worked at various companies and institutions
in the positions of counselor and chairman of the executive board. He attended
several social activities about Turkism. He wrote and published articles about
it. He established a school named Atatürk School in the USA for Turkish
children living aboard. He held painting exhibitions called “Türk Dünyası
Parkı” “and “Turks” in the USA and Turkey abut Central Asian Turkish and
Caucasian Turks. He was the founder of Environmentalism Education Camps in
Turkey. After he worked at Human Values Foundation as the director, he became a
member of NEA (Education Union), IPA (Institution of Public Lecturers), and
Association of Journalists, association of highbrows and president of
Foundation of Turk 2000
Between 1944 and 1945 he was put on trial in
“1944 Racism and Pan-Turanism Trial” When he was acquitted, he worked at
Columbia University between 1947 and 1972, at Istanbul University between 1975
and 1976 and then at Ahmet Yesevî Univeristy in 1996 in the position of
lecturer.
He published many articles and researches. He
attended several social activities about Turkism. He wrote and published
articles about it. He held painting exhibitions called “ urkic World Park” and
Turks in the USA and “Turkey” abut Central Asian Turkish and Caucasian Turks.
He has 41 books published in English, French and Turkish, 9 movies and 6
scripts.
Türkkan married first Emire Hanım, sister in law
of Reşat Nuri Güntekin, and then married Ece Zübeyde Hanım. He had four children,
Aslıhan (professor of archeology in the USA), Ceylan, Tuğrul and Alptunga. He
had press honor card and permanent press card.
WORKS:
Türkçülüğe Giriş (1940), Milliyetçiliğe Doğru (1943), One America
(1954), Talking Turkey (1955), Turkish Literature (1956), Turkish
National Character (1971), Tabutluktan Gurbete (1975), Yenilenmiş
Türk Destanları ve Hikâyeler (1977), Biz Kimiz (1987), 21.
Yüzyıla Doğru Dünya ve Türkiye (1989), Türk Milliyetçiliğinin Kısa Tarihi
(1992), Yükselen Milliyetçilik, 21. Yüzyıl Milliyetçiliği (1995), Kolay
ve İyi Öğrenme Teknikleri / Ayrıca... Çok Hızlı Okuma, Yabancı Dil Öğrenmenin
En Pratik ve Hızlı Teknikleri (1996), Kızılderililer ve Türkler / Bir
Tarihin, Bir Dramın Hikâyesi (1998), Anlayarak Çok Hızlı Okuma/ Photo
Reading (1998), İkna ve Uzlaşma Sanatı (2. Edit., 1998), Krimonoloji
(1999), Uyuyan Dev Türk Dünyası (2005).
REFERENCE: 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 Fikir ve Kültür
Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 3, 2013) - Encyclopedia of
Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Nail Tan - Özdemir Tan / Gurur Kaynağımız
Kastamonulular V (2005),
Reha Oğuz Türkkan / “Türkeş’in tırnakları çekilmedi”
(Cemal A. Kalyoncu’nun röportajı, Aksiyon dergisi, Sayı: 405).
