Sevan Nişanyan
Sevan Nişanyan
Early life and education
Sevan Nişanyan (born May 21, 1956) is a Turkish linguist, writer, and political activist. He is known for his work on the etymology of Turkish words and his criticism of the Turkish government.
Nişanyan was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to Armenian parents. He studied linguistics at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1978. He then went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a doctorate in linguistics in 1983.
Career
After completing his doctorate, Nişanyan returned to Turkey and worked as a professor of linguistics at Boğaziçi University. He also worked as a journalist and translator. In 1994, he founded the publishing house Avesta, which publishes books on linguistics, history, and culture.
In 2002, Nişanyan was elected mayor of Şirince, a small town in western Turkey. He served as mayor until 2008, during which time he implemented a number of progressive policies, including the establishment of a solar power plant and the restoration of the town's historic buildings.
Nişanyan is a prolific writer and has published over 30 books on a variety of topics, including linguistics, history, politics, and travel. He is also a regular columnist for several Turkish newspapers and magazines.
Political activism
Nişanyan is a vocal critic of the Turkish government and has been arrested and imprisoned several times for his political activities. In 1998, he was arrested for publishing a book that criticized the Turkish military. In 2007, he was arrested for organizing a protest against the construction of a new mosque in Şirince. And in 2014, he was arrested for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In 2017, Nişanyan was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for insulting Erdoğan. He was released from prison in 2019, but he remains under a travel ban.
Personal life
Nişanyan is married to Başak Çalıkoğlu, a Turkish architect and urban planner. They have two children.
Nişanyan is fluent in Turkish, English, French, German, and Armenian. He is also a skilled musician and plays the guitar, the bağlama, and the violin.
