Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – Founding Father
Mustafa Kemal is the most famous Turkish in not only Turkey but the world too. He was the founding father of modern Turkey.
Suleiman the Magnificent
As the only son of Sultan Selim I, Suleiman succeeded his father to the throne in 1520.
He embarked on a series of military campaigns that expanded and consolidated his Empire, his reign is now regarded as the peak of Ottoman influence.
Mehmed II aka Mehmed the Conqueror
At the age of 21, Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and brought an end to the over 1,000 year old Byzantine Empire.
Mehmed continued his conquests in Southeast Europe, expanding the Ottoman Empire by conquering among others, Anatolia and Bosnia. As Sultan he styled himself Caeser and the Ottoman State as a continuation of the Roman Empire. He encouraged the arts and sciences and many political and social reforms.
Aziz Sancar – Scientist
Aziz is a Turkish academician, biochemist, molecular biologist, and scientist. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in chemistry in 2015.
In 1983, through his study of bacteria, Aziz discovered protein molecules repair DNA damaged by ultraviolet (UV) light.
His scientific discoveries led to an increased understanding of how living cells work, the causes of cancer, and the aging process.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Erdoğan is the current President of Turkey, having previously served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014 and Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He is also the founder of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which he led from its origin in 2001 until his election as President in 2014
Emine Erdoğan – First Lady
Her contributions paved the way for Turkish women to actively participate in politics. She also launched a women’s movement, which played a big part in the success of the Refah Party in the 1994 elections.
When her husband was elected Mayor of Istanbul, Emine took up different social responsibility projects.
Some of them were having iftar tables for the poor during Ramadhan. This tradition is still practiced to date.
Together with the wives of governors from other provinces in Turkey, they campaigned to improve the living conditions of women, the elderly, and the veterans.
Tarkan – Pop Artist
Tarkan grew up in Alzey, Rhineland-Palatinate. He moved to Turkey in 1986 together with his family.
As a young boy, Tarkan began to show interest in music. He, therefore, took music lessons when he went to high school at Karamürsel.
His music career has been successful rewarding him with four Turkey Music Awards, six Golden Butterfly Awards, and one World Music Award, and has received various nominations.
Kemal Sunal: An Actor and a National Hero
Kemal Sunal (1944-2000), also known as “The Laughing Man”, is regarded as one of the most popular and respected actors of Turkish movie history.
Like many other Turkish actors, Kemal Sunal began his career in theatre. After graduating from high school, which took 11 years for him to complete, he began to appear in the stage plays of “Kenterler Theatre” in Istanbul. Later, he was transferred to “Ulvi Uraz Theater” and then to “Ayfer Feray Theatre”. Sunal’s last experience on stage was at “Devekuşu Kabare Theatre” which was the most popular stage in Turkey. Thanks to his successful performances on stage, he moved his career to the silver screen and soon became a superstar in the Turkish cinema industry.
