Navy put an advertisement about hiring a literature teacher as an officer in the newspaper again in 1981. He repeated the process and entered the Navy on May 27, 1982, as an ensign. His first assignment was to Turkish Naval High School in Istanbul. In 1983, he completed his Litt. D. in Classic Turkish Litreture at Istanbul University Vocational School of Social Sciences. As a result of his academic advancement he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade in August 1984. Marriage and family İskender Pala married F. Hülya Pala on September 23, 1980. They have two daughters; Hilye Banu (b. 1982), Elif Dilasa (b. 1986) and a son; Alperen Ahmet (b. 1992). In the introduction section of every novel he thanks his wife for being his life partner, first reader and first critic. Hülya Pala said in an interview that she is not as romantic as her husband and her views are deterministic and rigid. She also quoted Al-Farabi's poem "If boy would not fall in love, girl is not worthy of love". Works Efsane (Legend) – A "Barbaros" Novel (2013) OD (Flame) – A Yunus Novel (2011) Şah ve Sultan (Shah and Sultan) (2010) İki darbe Arasında – İlginç Zamanlarda (Between Two Coups – Interesting Times) (2010) Katre-i Matem (Grief Drop) (2010) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Divan (Ottoman) Poetry (1989) Tulip of Istanbul (2021)- Niyogi Books References External links İskender Pala English site 1958 births Living people Academic staff of Boğaziçi University Turkish columnists Turkish writers Zaman (newspaper) people Turkish autobiographers