30 Notable alumni of Anadolu University
Updated: June 05, 2026 EliteDegrees
Anadolu University is ranked #1,018 in the world and #13 in Turkey by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 30 notable alumni from Anadolu University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Anadolu University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Nedim Yücel
1979-. (aged 47)
basketball player
sports executive
Nedim Yücel is a Turkish general manager and former professional basketball player. He is currently general manager of Beşiktaş.
2. Gülsüm Kav
1971-. (aged 55)
academic
columnist
writer
physician
women's rights activist
Gülsüm Kav is a Turkish feminist activist, writer and doctor. She is one of the founders of the organisation We Will Stop Femicide Platform, who raise awareness of gender-based violence in Turkey and campaign on behalf of the families of victims of femicide.
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3. Cenk Enes Özer
1978-. (aged 48)
writer
Cenk Enes Özer is a Turkish novelist.
4. Serpil İskenderoğlu
1982-. (aged 44)
handball player
Serpil İskenderoğlu is a Turkish handballer in the field player position. She is a member of the Turkish national team.
5. Salihe Aydeniz
1973-. (aged 53)
politician
Salihe Aydeniz is a Kurdish politician of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and a current member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Since November 2019, she is the co-chair of the DBP.
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6. Fethi Heper
1944-2025 (aged 81)
association football player
Fethi Heper was a Turkish professional footballer who played as a forward. He was the top goal scorer of Eskişehirspor. Following retirement, he became a university finance professor.
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7. Betül Cemre Yıldız
1989-. (aged 37)
lawyer
chess player
Betül Cemre Yıldız Kadıoğlu is a top female chess player from Turkey. She is a Woman Grandmaster (WGM), and won the Turkish women's championship eleven times in total. She became in 2004 Woman International Master (WIM), and was awarded the title Woman Grandmaster in 2012, becoming the first ever Turkish WGM. Yıldız won the bronze medal at the World Under-18...
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8. Fehmi Demir
1957-2015 (aged 58)
politician
Fehmi Demir was a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin who served as the leader of the Rights and Freedoms Party (HAK-PAR) from October 2014 until his death a year later in October 2015. He advocated a federalist agenda, in favour of splitting Turkey into several federal states in order to give the Kurdish dominated regions more political autonomy.
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9. Ahmet Çakır
1964-. (aged 62)
politician
Ahmet Çakır is a Turkish politician who served as mayor of Malatya from March 2009 to April 2018.
10. Tuğba Hezer Öztürk
1988-. (aged 38)
politician
Tuğba Hezer Öztürk is a Turkish politician from Kurdish descent of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and a former Member of the Grand National Assembly for of Van.
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11. Erdoğan Toprak
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
Erdoğan Toprak is a Turkish politician and businessman from the Republican People's Party (CHP), who has served as the Member of Parliament for İstanbul's third electoral district since 2011. Having served as the MP for the same district between 1995 and 2002 as a member of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), he served as the Minister of State responsible for...
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12. Şenol Sunat
1956-. (aged 70)
university teacher
politician
Şenol Sunat is a biologist and Turkish politician. She is one of the ten Manisa parliamentarians at the 28th Parliament of Turkey and a founding member of the Turkey political party, the Good Party (Turkish: İYİ Parti). She is also a member of general administrative board and Head of election affairs of the Party.
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13. Recep Gürkan
1964-. (aged 62)
politician
Recep Demir Gürkan is a Turkish politician and member of the CHP. He was previously a member of the Grand National Assembly and served as the mayor of Edirne between 30 March 2014 and March 2024.
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14. Levent Üzümcü
1972-. (aged 54)
actor
television actor
Levent Üzümcü is a Turkish actor.
15. Hasan Kabze
1982-. (aged 44)
association football player
Hasan Salih Kabze is a Turkish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Formerly, he played for Bucaspor, Çanakkale Dardanelspor, Galatasaray SK, Rubin Kazan, Montpellier HSC, Orduspor, Konyaspor, Akhisar Belediyespor, and Sivasspor. In 2006, he made seven appearances for the international scoring twice.
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16. Ahmet Mücahid Ören
1972-. (aged 54)
entrepreneur
businessperson
Ahmet Mücahid Ören, is the chairman and current CEO of İhlas Holding, Ören studied economics at Anadolu University and also trained as a computer systems specialist.
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17. Lütfü Savaş
1965-. (aged 61)
politician
physician
Lütfü Savaş is a Turkish politician, doctor and former mayor of Hatay Province of Turkey.
18. Begüm Kütük Yaşaroğlu
1980-. (aged 46)
model
actor
Begüm Kütük Yaşaroğlu is a Turkish actress and model.
19. Muhittin Böcek
1962-. (aged 64)
politician
Muhittin Böcek is a Turkish politician from the Republican People's Party serving as the mayor of Antalya since 8 April 2019. He served as the mayor of Konyaaltı, a district of Antalya, from 1999 to 2019.
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20. Nabi Avcı
1953-. (aged 73)
politician
Nabi Avcı is a Turkish academic, writer and politician who was formerly chief advisor to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
21. Veli Ağbaba
1968-. (aged 58)
politician
Veli Ağbaba is a Turkish politician from the Republican People's Party (CHP), who has served as a Member of Parliament for Malatya since 12 June 2011.
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22. Ayşe Hatun Önal
1978-. (aged 48)
composer
model
lyricist
songwriter
beauty pageant contestant
Ayşe Hatun Önal is a Turkish actress, model, singer and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Turkey 1999 and represented her country at Miss World 1999 in London.
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23. Erkan Petekkaya
1970-. (aged 56)
film actor
actor
television actor
Erkan Petekkaya is a Turkish actor.
24. Gökhan Özoğuz
1976-. (aged 50)
singer
songwriter
Gökhan Özoğuz is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the Turkish ska-punk band Athena. He is the twin brother of fellow band member Hakan Özoğuz, and a founder member of the band. He performs a broad field of music from rhythm and blues to punk rock.
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25. Beyazıt Öztürk
1969-. (aged 57)
film actor
actor
television presenter
Beyazıt Öztürk, also known as Beyaz, is a Turkish television personality, standup comedian and actor. He was the host of Beyaz Show, a popular Turkish talk show. In 2018, he became one of the judges on O Ses Türkiye, the Turkish version of The Voice. He is best known for hit sitcom Yalan Dünya and biogragraphy film Hacivat Karagöz Neden...
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26. Yılmaz Büyükerşen
1937-. (aged 89)
politician
sculptor
Yılmaz Büyükerşen is a Turkish politician, educator and former mayor of Eskişehir.
27. Kubilay Aka
1995-. (aged 31)
actor
Kubilay Aka is a Turkish actor.
28. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu
1965-. (aged 61)
human rights defender
politician
pulmonologist
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu is a Turkish medical doctor (pulmonologist), human rights activist and an MP (Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly - TBMM) for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). He has dedicated his political career to fighting against the human rights violations in Turkey.
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29. Nurgül Yeşilçay
1976-. (aged 50)
film actor
stage actor
film director
Nurgül Yeşilçay is a Turkish actress.
30. Yalçın Akdoğan
1969-. (aged 57)
journalist
politician
Yalçın Akdoğan is a Turkish politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey from 2014 to 2016. A member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Akdoğan became a Member of Parliament representing Ankara's first electoral district at the 2011 general election and was re-elected in June 2015.
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