Researcher of Turkish history and
culture (b. 1939, Kars). He completed his primary and secondary education in
his hometown. He graduated from Atatürk University, Faculty of Agriculture
(1962) then in 1987 he graduated from Gazi University, Faculty of
Education, Department of Turkish Language and Literature. In 1987 he did his
master’s on modern history with the subjects Şeyh Sait (Şeyh Sait) at Hacettepe University, Institute of Social
Sciences, in 1989 on folk literature with the topic Doğu Anadolu'da Eski Türk İnançlarının İzleri (Evidence of Ancient
Turkish Religion in East Anatolia) at Gazi University, Institute of Social
Sciences, Department of Turkish Language and Literature and in 1991 on the
history of religions with the topic Kuzey
Azerbaycan Doğu Anadolu ve Kuzey Irak'da Eski Türk Dini İzleri, Dini Folklorik
Tabakalaşma (Evidence of Ancient
Turkish Religion and Religious Folklore Stratification in North Azerbaijan,
East Anatolia, North Iraq) at Erciyes University, Institute of Social Sciences.
In 1992 he became a doctor of science with the work Şark Meselesi Işığında Şeyh Sait Olayı, Karakteri, Dönemindeki İç ve
Dış Olaylar (The Oriental Problem in the Light of the Şeyh Sait Incident,
His Character and the Internal and External Events of His Time) at Hacettepe
University, Atatürk Institute of Modern Turkish History.
He has been to
Saudi Arabia and Turkic regions like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan,
Karakapakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabartay-Balkar, Dagestan, Crimea, Chuvashia, Tatarstan, Bashkortosan, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Gagauzia, Cyprus and
Upper Altai. He continues to study in these regions. He retired from the Office
of the Prime Ministry and serves as the Chairman of the Department of Caucasus
Research and as a board member at the Center for
Eurasian Strategic Studies.
Since 1988 his works have been
published in reviews such as Millî
Folklor, Avrasya Dosyası, Türk Kültürü, Erciyes, Türk Dünyası Tarih Dergisi, İçel
Kültürü, Türk Kültürü, Türk Dünyası Araştırmaları, Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi
Dergisi, Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Isparta, Millî Folklor,
Türk Folkloru, Hacı Bektaş Veli Araştırma Dergisi, Bayburdun Sesi, İslam ve
Kültür Araştırmaları. He has taken part in symposiums where he has
presented papers related to his field.
WORKS:
Doğu Anadolu'da Eski Türk İnançları İzleri (Evidence of
Ancient Turkish Religion in East Anatolia, master’s thesis, 2 volumes, 1990), Türko Kürtlerde Uygarlık ve Ağızlar Hakkında
Düşünceler (Civilization of Kurds and Ideas about Dialect, with Prof. Dr.
Mehlika Aktok Kaşkarlı, 1991), Karşılaştırmalı
Halk İnançları, Azerbaycan- Doğu Anadolu (Comparative Public Beliefs,
Azerbaijan-East Anatolia, with Ass. Dr. Zeynelabidin Makas, 1993), Makedonya Türkleri (Turks of Macedonia,
Turkish Beliefs that Live among Turkmen, Turkbash, Cenkeri and Yuruk, 1994), Kuzey Afganistan Türkleri [Özbekler
Türkmenler, Hazaralar-Afşarlar-Kazaklar] ve Karşılaştırmalı Halk İnançları
(Turks of North Afghanistan -Uzbeks, Turkmen, Caspian Afshars, Kazakhs and Comparative Folk Beliefs, 1998), Kuzey Azerbaycan Doğu Anadolu ve Kuzey İrak'da Eski Türk Dini İzleri,
Dini Folklorik Tabakalaşma (Evidence of Ancient Turkish Religion and
Religious Folklore Stratification in North Azerbaijan, East Anatolia and North
Iraq, 1998), Güney Türkistan'dan Türkiye'ye Meseleler ve Türk Kültür Kimliği (Problems
from South Turkistan to Turkey and the Identity of Turkish Culture, 1995), Manas'ın 1.000. Yılında Uluğ Türkistan
Notları (Manas’ Notes In the 1000th Year of Great Turkistan,
Uzbekistan -Turkmenistan -Kyrgyzstan, 1995), Kuzey Irak'da Karşılaştırmalı Türk Halk inançları (Comparative
Turkish Public Beliefs in North Iraq, with Ahmet Doğan, 1995), İslamiyet ve Türk Halk İnançları (Islamic
and Turkish Folk Beliefs, 1996), Özbekistan
- Anadolu Karşılaştırmalı Türk Halk İnançları (Uzbekistan-Anatolia
Comparative Turkish Folk Belief, with Prof. Dr. Malik Muratoğlu and Cevdet
Türkeroğlu, 1996), Karşılaştırmalı Bayır
- Bucak Türkmen Halk İnançları (Comparative Turkmen Folk Belief, 1996), Anadolu Türk Halk Sufızmi - Zazalar Kırmanç
ve Türkmenler (Anatolia Turk Folk Sufism - Zazas, Kirmanchis and Turkmen,
Classification of Places to Visit in Erzurum and their Importance to Folk Science,
1997), Avrasya Türk Halk Sufızmi-1
(Eurasia Turkish Public Sufism-1, Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan- Turkmenistan, 1997),
Abay'ın 150. Yılında İpek Yolu
Güzergahları Bayır-Bucak / Nahçıvan / Türkmenistan / Kırgızistan / Kazakistan /
Özbekistan [Kuzey Afganistan, Güney Türkistan] (In the 150th
Year of Abay’s Routes of the Silk Road–Nakhichevan / Turkmenistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan [North Afghanistan, South Turkistan], 1997),
Kırım - Kuzey Kafkasya / Sosyal
Antropoloji Araştırmaları (Research of Crimean-North Caucasus / Social
Anthropology, Tour Notes of Crimean-Dagestan-North Caucasian and Turkish Public
Beliefs, 1999), Güney Kafkasya / Sosyal
Antropoloji Araştırmaları (Research of South Caucasus / Social
Anthropology, travel Notes on North Azerbaijan – Georgian, Nakhichevan and Turkish Folk Beliefs, 2000), Türk
Dünyası Karşılaştırmalı Türkmen Halk inançları Sosyal Antropoloji Araştırmaları
(Turkic World Comparative Turkmen Folk Beliefs Social Anthropology
Research, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Nakhichevan - Azerbaijan, Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Anatolia, Macedonia, 2000), Bakü Ceyhan Kültür Hattı / Sosyal
Antropoloji Araştırmaları (Research of Social Anthropology / Baku-Ceyhan
Line of Culture, 2000), Türk Dünyası Halk
İnançları Teori ve Metot (Methods and Theory of the Turkic World Folk
Beliefs, 2001).
