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Most Famous People from Turkey

All 152,953
Turkey 942
282 MK Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Turkish Politician 1881–1938
590 OK Omar Khayyam Omar Khayyam Turkish Mathematician 1048–1131
763 JI Justinian I Justinian I Turkish Emperor 482–565
910 T Timur Timur Turkish Conqueror 1336–1405
1,172 A Al-Ghazali Al-Ghazali Turkish Philosopher 1058–1111
1,287 OP Orhan Pamuk Orhan Pamuk Turkish Writer b. 1952
1,426 RT Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkish Politician b. 1954
2,015 MI Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi Turkish Mathematician 780–850
2,111 MT Mehmed the Conqueror Mehmed the Conqueror Turkish Monarch 1432–1481
2,199 ST Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman the Magnificent Turkish Sultan 1494–1566
2,295 D Diogenes Diogenes Turkish Philosopher -404–-322
2,664 BO Basil of Caesarea Turkish Bishop 329–379
3,167 MA Muhammad Ali of Egypt Muhammad Ali of Egypt Turkish Politician 1769–1849
3,452 E Eusebius Eusebius Turkish Priest 265–339
3,599 A Al-Biruni Al-Biruni Turkish Philosopher 973–1048
3,667 HI Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali Turkish Prophet 626–680
3,692 MS Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan Turkish Architect 1489–1588
4,713 H Heraclius Heraclius Turkish Emperor 575–641
4,762 AN Abu Nuwas Abu Nuwas Turkish Poet 762–814
4,982 GO Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nazianzus Turkish Priest 329–389
5,015 AT Arda Turan Arda Turan Turkish Football b. 1987
6,831 H( Helena (empress) Helena (empress) Turkish Empress 250–330
6,959 MA Muhammad al-Bukhari Turkish Scholar 810–870
7,063 YK Yaşar Kemal Yaşar Kemal Turkish Screenwriter 1923–2015
7,513 BI Bayezid II Turkish Sultan 1447–1512
7,572 FG Fethullah Gülen Fethullah Gülen Turkish Writer b. 1941
7,825 TÖ Turgut Özal Turgut Özal Turkish Politician 1927–1993
7,901 A Arcadius Arcadius Turkish Emperor 377–408
7,935 AÖ Abdullah Öcalan Abdullah Öcalan Turkish Politician b. 1949
8,428 C Cassiodorus Cassiodorus Turkish Music 487–583
8,831 T( Theodora (6th century) Theodora (6th century) Turkish Empress 500–548
8,879 YG Yılmaz Güney Yılmaz Güney Turkish Film 1937–1984
8,968 SA Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu Turkish Singer b. 1954
9,278 M( Maurice (emperor) Maurice (emperor) Turkish Emperor 539–602
9,635 F Fuzûlî Fuzûlî Turkish Poet 1494–1556
9,650 YE Yunus Emre Yunus Emre Turkish Poet 1240–1321
9,657 A Al-Tabari Al-Tabari Turkish Historian 839–923
9,788 VL Vasil Levski Vasil Levski Turkish Revolutionary 1837–1873
10,066 AM Adnan Menderes Adnan Menderes Turkish Politician 1899–1961
10,385 B Belisarius Belisarius Turkish Officer 505–565
10,954 LI Leo III the Isaurian Leo III the Isaurian Turkish Emperor 675–741
11,650 MV Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos Turkish Emperor 1224–1282
11,762 AP Ali Pasha of Ioannina Ali Pasha of Ioannina Turkish Politician 1750–1822
11,890 OI Osman I Osman I Turkish Sultan 1258–1327
12,131 AI Ahmed I Ahmed I Turkish Sultan 1590–1617
12,192 T( Tarkan (singer) Tarkan (singer) Turkish Singer b. 1972
12,220 SD Süleyman Demirel Süleyman Demirel Turkish Politician 1924–2015
12,343 CB Celâl Bayar Celâl Bayar Turkish Politician 1883–1986
12,514 MA Mansur Al-Hallaj Mansur Al-Hallaj Turkish Mystic 858–922
12,809 NK Nasir Khusraw Nasir Khusraw Turkish Poet 1004–1088
12,827 CÖ Cem Özdemir Cem Özdemir Turkish Politician b. 1965
12,939 HB Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa Turkish Officer 1478–1546
13,078 A Al-Shafi‘i Al-Shafi‘i Turkish Theologian 767–820
13,533 AQ Abdul Qadir Gilani Turkish Sunni 1078–1166
14,250 AI Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Turkish Emperor 1259–1332
14,721 Z( Zeno (emperor) Zeno (emperor) Turkish Emperor 425–491
14,804 NY Nurgül Yeşilçay Nurgül Yeşilçay Turkish Actor b. 1976
14,835 MI Murad I Murad I Turkish Sultan 1326–1389
14,892 IP Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt Turkish Militar 1789–1848
14,986 AD Ahmet Davutoğlu Ahmet Davutoğlu Turkish Politician b. 1959
15,029 PR Piri Reis Piri Reis Turkish Admiral 1465–1554
15,371 TP Talaat Pasha Talaat Pasha Turkish Politician 1874–1921
15,378 MO Mahmud of Ghazni Mahmud of Ghazni Turkish King 971–1030
15,794 K Karađorđe Karađorđe Turkish Revolutionary 1768–1817
15,899 JV John V Palaiologos John V Palaiologos Turkish Emperor 1332–1391
16,535 LI Leo I the Thracian Leo I the Thracian Turkish Emperor 401–474
17,508 MA Mehmet Ali Ağca Mehmet Ali Ağca Turkish Criminal b. 1958
18,096 SF Sait Faik Abasıyanık Turkish Poet 1906–1954
18,275 MV Mehmed V Mehmed V Turkish Sultan 1844–1918
18,349 NŞ Nuri Şahin Nuri Şahin Turkish Football b. 1988
18,536 SO Simplicius of Cilicia Simplicius of Cilicia Turkish Philosopher 490–560
18,798 AI Ahmed III Ahmed III Turkish Sultan 1673–1736
18,865 A Al-Mansur Turkish Caliphate 714–775
18,956 AH Abdul Hamid I Abdul Hamid I Turkish Sultan 1725–1789
19,744 BY Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz Turkish Football b. 1985
19,882 TŞ Türkan Şoray Türkan Şoray Turkish Film b. 1945
20,103 EM Emre Mor Emre Mor Turkish Football b. 1997
20,239 AT Abu Tammam Abu Tammam Turkish Poet 804–846
20,347 NS Naim Süleymanoğlu Naim Süleymanoğlu Turkish Weightlifter 1967–2017
20,694 TI Tariq ibn Ziyad Tariq ibn Ziyad Turkish Warrior 670–722
20,703 SA Sabahattin Ali Sabahattin Ali Turkish Writer 1907–1948
20,747 AM Abu Mansur al-Maturidi Abu Mansur al-Maturidi Turkish Theologian 893–944
21,029 PZ Pope Zachary Pope Zachary Turkish Cleric 679–752
21,215 AI Anastasius I Dicorus Anastasius I Dicorus Turkish Emperor 430–518
21,655 AG Ara Güler Ara Güler Turkish Photographer 1928–2018
21,708 CE Caner Erkin Caner Erkin Turkish Football b. 1988
21,852 CA Cüneyt Arkın Turkish Film b. 1937
21,972 AI Ali ibn al-Athir Turkish Historian 1160–1233
22,045 KT Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ Turkish Model b. 1983
22,120 NF Naim Frashëri Naim Frashëri Turkish Poet 1846–1900
22,142 TK Tuncel Kurtiz Turkish Film 1936–2013
23,220 OZ O. Z. Livaneli O. Z. Livaneli Turkish Composer b. 1946
23,415 HY Hande Yener Hande Yener Turkish Singer b. 1973
24,121 KM Kara Mustafa Pasha Kara Mustafa Pasha Turkish Grand Vizier 1634–1683
24,513 SM Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Turkish Politician 1505–1579
25,646 ST Symeon the New Theologian Symeon the New Theologian Turkish Monk 949–1022
26,113 ZG Ziya Gökalp Ziya Gökalp Turkish Sociologist 1876–1924
26,282 AI Abdulmejid II Abdulmejid II Turkish Calife 1868–1944
26,421 KE Kenan Evren Kenan Evren Turkish Politician 1917–2015
26,556 ÂV Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu Turkish Music 1894–1973
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Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Turkey

942 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Turkey during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Turkey peaked in the 1990s with 109 people.

What Turkey Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Turkey's biggest group — 31% of all notables (289).

Turkey over-indexes on royalty — 4.3× the global rate.

Turkey under-produces art & design — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Sports289
  2. Politics & Law175
  3. Writing96
  4. Other84
  5. Film & TV61
  6. Military52
  7. Religion49
  8. Music48
  1. Royalty374.3×
  1. Art & Design130.2×
  2. Science310.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Turkey's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Military
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.