Famous Turkish Intellectuals & Academics

Gregory of Nazianzus was a theologian and Archbishop of Constantinople. He is widely regarded as the most renowned and talented rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. Much of Gregory of Nazianzus' theological work continues to have a significant impact on modern theologians. 

Piri Reis was an Ottoman navigator, admiral, cartographer, and geographer. He is best remembered for his Book of Navigation, which contains maps and charts and information on navigational techniques. He gained international recognition in 1929 when a portion of his first world map was discovered at the Topkapı Palace in Turkey. Piri Reis finds mention in several popular video games.  

John Chrysostom was an influential Early Church Father best remembered for his public speaking and preaching. Regarded as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs of the Greek Church, John continues to be a prominent theologian in Eastern Christianity. He is recognized as a saint by various churches, including the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Catholic, and Lutheran churches.

Turkish sex cult leader Adnan Oktar is an advocate of Islamic creationism and opposes Darwinism. He has previously been arrested for several crimes, such as financial fraud and sexual abuse. He once sent copies of his book The Atlas of Creation, penned as Harun Yahya, to several French and American institutes, unsolicited.

Turkish left-wing politician and diplomat Burhan Asaf Belge was also the first husband of Hungarian-American actor Zsa Zsa Gabor. He represented the Muğla province at the Turkish National Assembly. He had also served as the ambassador of Turkey to Hungary, where he met Gabor.

Turkish economist Tansu Çiller has been Turkey’s 22nd prime minister and the only woman to hold the post. The True Path Party politician has also been Turkey’s minister of state and of foreign affairs, and the deputy minister of the country. She also became Turkey’s youngest full professor.

Turkish intellectual, sociologist, and author Mehmed Ziya, better known by his pseudonym, Ziya Gökalp, was a main figure of the Turkish nationalist movement. Though initially educated as a vet, he later quit his studies to focus on politics. His writings include The Principles of Turkism. He was apparently highly influenced by Sufism.

Byzantine monk Symeon the New Theologian belonged to the Eastern Orthodox church. A significant figure of Christian mysticism and Hesychasm, he propagated the idea of Theoria, or the concept of gaining a direct experience of God. His writings are mostly composed of catecheses and sermons.

Turkish poet, scholar, mystic, and miniature painter Ali-Shir Nava'I was a major figure of Chagatai literature. He was also interested in music, architecture, and calligraphy, and donated huge sums for much of constructions of his city. His best-known works include Muhakamat al-Lughatayn and Majālis-i nefaʾīs.

Édouard Balladur is a French politician who served as the prime minister of France from 1993 to 1995. He started his political career in the 1960s and steadily rose through the ranks, becoming the minister of economy and finance. A few years later, he took office as the prime minister. The media often caricatures him as aloof, aristocratic, and arrogant. 

Eustathius of Thessalonica was a Byzantine Greek scholar best remembered for his service as the Archbishop of Thessalonica. A pupil of Nicholas Kataphloron, Eustathius is renowned for his commentaries on Homer and for his orations. Eustathius of Thessalonica was canonized on 10 June 1988.    

Turkish archaeologist and Assyriologist Muazzez İlmiye Çığ specializes in Sumerology, or the study of the Sumerian civilization. She has had a long association with the Museum of the Ancient Orient and has also penned several books, including a children’s educational book and her memoir, Çivi çiviyi söker.

Nikephoros I of Constantinople was a Byzantine writer who served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 806 to 815. Today, Nikephoros I of Constantinople is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. His feast is celebrated on 13 March.

Ayşe Buğra is a Turkish social scientist, economist, and writer. A recipient of the prestigious TWAS Prize, Buğra is credited with co-founding Boğaziçi University's Social Policy Forum. Ayşe Buğra is currently serving as a professor at the Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History. 

Greek grammarian and Homeric scholar Zenodotus of Ephesus served as the first superintendent of the Library of Alexandria. He is also said to have penned the first critical edition of Homer. He was also a student of Greek scholar and poet Philitas of Cos. He also edited Hesiod’s Theogony.