The esteemed Iraqi Turkmen cultural historian, thinker and Turkolog Ata Terzibaşı passed away on March 31st 2016 in Kirkuk. At 92 years of age Terzibaşı was laid to rest in his beloved Kirkuk.
Born on November 14th 1924 in Kirkuk, Terzibaşı would go on to graduate from the Baghdad University Law faculty before starting a successful career practicing Law in Iraq. An authority figure on Iraqi Turkmen culture, Terzibaşı was most well known for his countless writings on Turkmen history and culture. A true idealist and scholar, Terzibaşı published several books, hundreds of articles, and presented his findings at numerous international seminars and conferences. Alongside Turkish articles, and in a bid to reach a wider audience, Terzibaşı also penned a great deal of work in Arabic. Terzibaşı’s research findings and contributions have been well received at home and abroad.
As a journalist, writer and researcher, and especially regarding his work on Iraqi Turkmen literature, Terzibaşı gained notoriety not only in Iraq but also in Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. With over 30 published books, Terzibaşı was by and far the greatest representative of Iraqi Turkmen culture.
We wish to relay our deepest condolences to the Terzibaşı family, the Turkmen region in Iraq and the entire Turkish world.
Erşat Hürmüzlü
President
