Yaşar Nuri Öztürk

Yaşar Nuri Öztürk studied at Istanbul University Faculty of Law. The recorded working language is Turkish, French and Ottoman Turkish. Muzaffer Özak is recorded as an influence. Employment is recorded with Istanbul University. Positions recorded include member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

• Honorific Prefix — Prof. Dr. • Name — Yaşar Nuri Öztürk • Religion — Islam • Denomination — Quranism • Education — Istanbul University • Born — 5 February 1951 • Birthplace — Bayburt, Turkey • Died — 22 June 2016 • Place of death — Istanbul, Turkey • Main Interests — Islamic philosophy, 'Aqidah, Kalam, Tafsir, Sufism • Influences — al-Hallaj, Socrates, Ibrahim al-Nazzam, Nasir Khusraw, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammed Hamdi Yazır • Influenced — Mustafa İslamoğlu, Edip Yüksel, Caner Taslaman • Notable Works — * Kur'an'daki İslam • Kur'an Meali • Website — ynovakfi.org

He was born in Bayburt on February 5, 1951, but grew up in the village of Fındıcak of Sürmene, Trabzon in Turkey's Black Sea Region. He has served as both faculty member and dean at the Istanbul University for over 26 years. He taught Islamic thought at the Theological Seminary of Barrytown in New York for one year as a guest professor, during which time he also made major contributions to the Islamic section of the anthology, “The World Scripture.” He has given many conferences on Islamic thought, humanity and human rights in Turkey, the US, Europe, the Middle East and the Balkans. Yaşar Nuri Öztürk represents an interpretation of Islam which is secular and social democratic. Öztürk died in his home aged 65 in the afternoon of June 22, 2016. Diagnosed with stomach cancer, he underwent a surgery on November 12, 2011, and was treated then three and half months long. He was hospitalized a couple of days prior to his death in Yeditepe University's hospital, was discharged back home after treatment. On June 24, he was interred at Kanlıca Cemetery following the religious funeral service held at Şakirin Mosque in Istanbul.

Öztürk was elected to the Turkish Parliament in 2002 as Istanbul deputy, started People's Ascent Movement and in his leadership this movement turned into a political party (2005) named People's Ascent Party (HYP). However, he resigned from active politics in October 2009, and turned his efforts to writing and propagation of roots of Islam through understanding of Qur'an. Since then, he has appeared on many regularly scheduled TV shows, some of which he was a constant guest. A notable format of these shows is the reading and explanation of the Qur'an in Turkish. In these shows, a host would read the Qur'an in Turkish, and Prof. Öztürk would explain the meanings and significance.

Yaşar Nuri Öztürk is recorded as politician, writer, university teacher, lawyer and philosopher.