AKTAŞ, Hüsnü

Journalist, writer and researcher (b. 1950, Askeriye village / Burdur). He also used the pen name Yusuf Kerimoğlu in some of his articles. He attended primary school in his village and secondary school in Burdur and Antalya. He studied at Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History, Geography, Department of German Language and Literature for a while and graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Theology (1973). He worked as a civil officer at the Directorate of Religious Affairs in Ankara, as the chief at the Office of Mufti in Giresun, as the director of Department in General Directorate of Foundations in Ankara, as a library director at the Academy of Adapazarı. He resigned in 1981. Besides his formal education, he also received special training (1969–1973).

He began to write for some reviews and newspapers during his years at high school. He became the managing editor of the newspaper İmanlı Büyük Türkiye. Later on, his essays and articles were published in the newspaper Hüryol. In 1974, he published a review called Yeni Ölçü together with his friends and he became the editor-in-chief of this review (1974-79). Meanwhile, as a member of the Executive Board of the Federation of Türkiye’s Religious Officials, he made some studies in Türkiye and the Middle East.

One of the founders of the Writers Union of Türkiye, Aktaş began to write for the newspapers like Şura, Hicret and Tevhid in 1979 and then became a columnist in the newspaper Millî Gazete with a pen name and wrote on the Fıkıh Köşesi pages of the newspaper as an expert of canon law for years. Since many files were sued after him at courts because of his writings, he had to write under pen names. After 1980, he wrote daily articles and essays on issues related to canon law in Millî Gazete again under a pen name. Then, he went on to work as a columnist in the newspapers Vahdet and Akit. He answered the questions about the issues related to canon law in a “Fıkıh Column” in Akit for many years. He was sent to prison in 1984 and stayed there for more than a year. After he was released, he published a newspaper called Vahdet and wrote articles for this newspaper for three years. Then, together with his friends, he established the Vahdet Education, Friendship and Solidarity Foundation in Ankara (1989).

He wrote for the newspaper Akit between 1993 and 2000. He published a review named Misak in 1990. He was accused to support Aczimendi tarikat* in Eskişehir Prison for six months and was arrested in May, 1997. He was imprisoned in Ulucanlar Prison. After he was released, he continued his foundational works and to publish the review Misak. He collected the Writers Union of Türkiye’s Author of the Year Award in 1983 under the category of thought with his book titled Kelimeler ve Kavramlar (Words and the Concepts).

WORKS:

NOVEL: İsyan Çiçekleri (The Flowers of Rebellion, auto-biographical novel, 1975), Fedailer (The Bodyguards, documentary novel, 1983).

PLAY: Şeytan’ın Düzeni (The Order of Evil, 1975), Cenazeler Çağı (The Age of Funerals, 1976).

SHORT STORY: Şen Olasın Laiklik (Secularism Be Happy, 1977).

RESEARCH: Medenî Vahşet (The Civilized Brutality, 1980), Fıkhî Meseleler (The Issues of Canon Law, 2 volumes, 1982-83), Kelimeler ve Kavramlar (Words and Concepts, 2 volumes, 1983), Devlet ve Siyaset (The State and Politics), İslâmî Hareketin Mahiyeti (The Essence of Islamic Movement), Mazlumlarla Sohbet (Conversation with the Oppressed), Emanetler ve Ehliyetler (The Things Entrusted and Competences, 2 volumes).

MEMOIR: Medenî Vahşet Davası (The Course of Civilized Brutality, notes from prison, 1987).