people of old age. International Perspective The Department of Japanese Language and Literature was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for their contributions to promotion of Japanese language education in Turkey on December 1, 2020. Notable members Faculty Hasan Reşit Tankut, history Notable alumni Bülent Arınç - politician and former speaker of the parliament Tomris Bakır - archaeologist Deniz Baykal - politician and party leader Ataol Behramoglu - poet and university lecturer Akın Birdal - politician Osman Birsen - former CEO of Istanbul Stock Exchange Deniz Çakır - actor Cengiz Çandar - journalist Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu - diplomat and politician; current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mustafa Ceceli - singer Hikmet Çetin - former speaker of the parliament Mehmet Culum - novelist Can Dündar - journalist İsmail Hakkı Duru - theoretical physicist Muammer Güler - Governor of Istanbul Aydın Güven Gürkan - academician, socialist party leader Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu - Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Erdal İnönü -academic and politician Mustafa Kalemli - physician and politician Ahmet Taner Kışlalı - intellectual and former government minister Hayri Kozakçıoğlu - Province governor and politician Ferit Melen - former prime minister Adnan Menderes - former prime minister Murathan Mungan - author Tahsin Özgüç - archaeologist Ahmet Necdet Sezer - President of Turkey (2000–2007) Cemal Süreya - poet Murat Karayalçın - former Minister for Foreign Affairs; former Deputy Prime Minister and former Mayor of Ankara Sedat Laçiner - IR lecturer, Rector, columnist and Director of International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) Hasan Celal Güzel - former Minister of National Education Mehmet Hakkı Suçin - Arabist Selahattin Demirtaş - Politician İlber Ortaylı - Historian Metin Feyzioğlu - Lawyer Halil İnalcık - Historian İhsan Doğramacı - doctor Ahmet Taner Kışlalı - Politician Engin Akyürek - cinema player Mehmet Görmez-Professor Melih Gökçek-Politician Mehmet Şimşek-Politician Beşir Atalay-Politician Abdullah Öcalan (born 1946), Kurdistan Workers' Party leader and political thinker Doğu Perinçek-Politician Mehmet Haberal-Doctor-Başkent University Rector Cüneyt Özdemir-Journalist Mithat Sancar-Politician Metin Altıok-Poet Ahmed Arif-Poet Ayşenur İslam-Politician Selma Aliye Kavaf-Politician Sezai Karakoç-Author-Poet Suat Kılıç-Politician Ece Temelkuran-Author Mehmet Bekaroğlu - doctor-politician Çetin Altan-Writer Sırrı Süreyya Önder-Politician Haluk Koç-Politician Mustafa Kamalak-Saadet Party Leader Merve Kavakçı Muammer Güler-Politician Kartal Tibet-Senarist Mehmet Mehdi Eker-Politician Sema Ramazanoğlu-Politician Naci Bostancı-Politician Sadullah Ergin-Politician Emine Ülker Tarhan-Politician Abdülkadir Aksu-Politician Mustafa Elitaş-Politician Altan Erkekli-Theatre Player Adalet Ağaoğlu-Author Bülent Ecevit-Politician Hakim Muhammad Said - medical researcher, scholar, philanthropist, and a Governor of Sindh Province, Pakistan from 1993 until 1996 Abdüllatif