Çelik Gülersoy

Çelik Gülersoy ( born September 23, 1930 in Hakkari (Turkey ); † July 6, 2003 in Istanbul) was a journalist, lawyer and long -time chairman of the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club ttŏk. Gülersoy made ​​a name for himself as an important preservationist who rescued many important cultural monuments of Istanbul from destruction.

Family background

Gülersoy was born in 1930 in Hakkari in eastern Turkey, where his father made ​​military service. Originally from the Ottoman capital Istanbul family brought to the Ottoman period produced significant scholars of Islamic law ( kadi and mufti ), early 20th century, inter alia, also progressive writers Ahmed Hikmet.

Life and work

Since 1933, lived Gülersoys family in Istanbul, where he grew up and became involved already in the 50s while studying in the Turkish automobile association ttŏk. From 1961 he worked in the legal department of the club and in 1966 its managing director. Gülersoy launched important initiatives for the monument in Istanbul and published a large number of publications and books. Gülersoy also collected writings about the city and founded in 1985 the "Istanbul Library", which today houses one of the most important collections of the city 's history.

For his commitment to the protection of the Bosporus metropolis Gülersoy received numerous Turkish and international awards.