List of Turkish Americans

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The following is a list of notable Turkish Americans, including both original immigrants of full or partial Turkish descent who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

Most notable Turkish Americans have come from, or originate from, Turkey but there are also notable Americans of Turkish origin who have immigrated from, or descend from, the other former Ottoman territories, especially Turks from the Balkans, the island of Cyprus (e.g. Erden Eruç, Halil Güven, Hal Ozsan, Abdul Kerim al-Qubrusi, and Vamık Volkan, are of Turkish Cypriot origin), North Africa (e.g. Leila Ahmed and Nonie Darwish are of Turkish-Egyptian origin, and Mustapha Osman was of Turkish-Tunisian origin), and the Levant (e.g. Etel Adnan is of Turkish-Syrian origin; David Chokachi and Salih Neftçi are of Turkish-Iraqi origin; Nabila Khashoggi is from the Khashoggi family who are of Turkish origin).

Some Turkish Americans have also come to the US from areas where there is a modern Turkish diaspora; for example, Turhan Bey had a Turkish-Austrian background; Timothy Guy Kent has a Turkish Canadian background; Marie Tepe had a Turkish-French background; Ergun Caner has a Turkish-Swedish background; Kasim Edebali has a Turkish-German background; and Didem Erol has a Turkish Australian background.

Academia

Sibel Adalı, Professor of Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Leila Ahmed, Professor of Women's Studies in Religion at Harvard Divinity School
Ali Akansu, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NJIT
Esra Akcan, Professor of Architecture at Cornell University
Mustafa Aksakal, professor of history at Georgetown University
İlhan Aksay, Professor in Engineering and Emeritus Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University
Asuman Aksoy, Professor of Mathematics at Claremont McKenna College
Serap Aksoy, Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) at Yale University
Ian F. Akyildiz, Chair Professor in Telecommunications
Ilkay Altintas, Chief data science officer at the University of California
Ali Argon, Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ilke Arslan, Microscopist and Director of the Center for Nanoscale Materials and the Nanoscience and Technology division at Argonne National Laboratory
Muzaffer Atac, Professor of Physics
Bülent Atalay, Professor of physics at the University of Mary Washington and the University of Virginia
Esin Atıl, historian of Islamic art and curator of Islamic art at the Freer Gallery of Art
Ozlem Ayduk, social psychologist at U.C. Berkeley
Özalp Babaoğlu, Professor of computer science at University of Bologna
Ivet Bahar, Professor of Computational Biology at University of Pittsburgh
A. Baha Balantekin, Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin
Asım Orhan Barut, Professor of physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder
Itzhak Bars, theoretical physicist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles
Tamer Başar, Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Elif Batuman, academic and journalist
Nihat Berker, scientist, theoretical chemist, physicist and emeritus professor of physics at MIT
Burcin Becerik-Gerber, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Southern California
Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Gunduz Caginalp, Professor of Mathematics at University of Pittsburgh
Emir Caner, President of Truett McConnell University
Ergun Caner, Professor of Theology and Church History
Zeynep Çelik-Butler, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel, Associate professor of the practice in statistics at Duke University
Erhan Çinlar, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University
Canan Dağdeviren, assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Utkan Demirci, Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine
Arif Dirlik, Professor at the University of British Columbia
Servet A. Duran, Professor of Materials Science at Washington State University
Taner Edis, Professor of physics at the Truman State University
Merve Emre, Associate professor of American literature at Oxford University
Ali Erdemir, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University
Fazıl Erdoğan, Professor and Dean of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Lehigh University
Ahmed Cemal Eringen, Professor of continuum mechanics at Princeton University
Alev Erisir, Professor of Psychology and the Department Chair at the University of Virginia
Elza Erkip, Professor and wireless technology researcher at New York University
Okan Ersoy, Professor of electrical engineering and Director of Statistical and Computational Intelligence Laboratory at Purdue University
Alper Erturk, Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology
Erdağ Göknar, Associate Professor of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University
Selda Gunsel, Vice President (VP) for Global Commercial Technology at Royal Dutch Shell
Murat Günel, Professor of Neurosurgery at Yale University
Faruk Gül, Professor of Economics, Princeton University
Feza Gürsey, mathematician and physicist
Suha Gürsey, physicist and mathematician
Halil Güven, Dean of San Diego State University - Georgia
M. Şükrü Hanioğlu, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University
Çiğdem Balım Harding, Senior lecturer at Indiana University
Peter Harzem, Professor of Psychology at Auburn University
Ali Hortaçsu, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago
Gökhan S. Hotamisligil, Professor of Nutrition & Division of Biological Sciences at Harvard University
Alp Ikizler, nephrologist, holder of the Catherine McLaughlin Hakim chair in Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Ataç İmamoğlu, physicist
Umran Inan, scientist at Koç University and Stanford University
Murat Iyigun, Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado
Cemal Kafadar, Professor of Turkish Studies at Harvard University
Pinar Karaca-Mandic, Professor of Healthcare Risk Management at the University of Minnesota
Merve Kavakçı, George Washington University Professor and former Fazilet Party Parliamentarian
Pınar Keskinocak, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology
Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Political Science, and Gorter Family Professor in Islamic Studies at Duke University
Yahya M. Madra, Associate Professor of Economics at Drew University
Naci Mocan, Ourso Distinguished Chair of Economics at Louisiana State University
Gülru Necipoğlu, Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University
Salih Neftçi, Professor of Economics at the New School University (Turkish-Iraqi origin)
Banu Onaral, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Drexel University
Özalp Özer, Professor of Management Science at the University of Texas at Dallas
Mihri Özkan, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of California, Berkeley
Meral Özsoyoglu, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Case Western Reserve University
Asuman Özdağlar, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, astronomer and astrophysicist at the University of Arizona
Dani Rodrik, professor of International Political Economy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Sema Salur, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Rochester
Aziz Sancar, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Ezel Kural Shaw, historian and wife of Stanford J. Shaw
Muzafer Sherif, Professor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University
Eshref Shevky, Professor of Sociology at the University of California
Oktay Sinanoğlu, youngest full Professor in Yale's 20th-century history
Emin Gün Sirer, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University
Halil Mete Soner, Professor of Financial Mathematics at ETH Zürich
Tayfun Sönmez, Professor of Economics at Boston College
Ayşe Şahin, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Wright State University
Damla Şentürk, Professor of biostatistics in the University of California
Serap Z. Tilav, US Antarctic Program field team member; the Tilav Cirque is named after her
Mehmet Toner, Professor of surgery at the Harvard Medical School and Professor of biomedical engineering at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
Sefaattin Tongay, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Arizona State University
Zeynep Tufekci, Associate professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina
Galip Ulsoy, Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and W.C. Ford Professor Emeritus of Manufacturing at University of Michigan
Turgay Üzer, Professor Emeritus at Georgia Institute of Technology
Vamık Volkan, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia,
Nur Yalman, Professor of Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University
Osman Yaşar, Professor and chair of the computational science department at State University of New York College at Brockport
K. Aslıhan Yener, University of Chicago archaeologist who uncovered a new source of Bronze Age Anatolian tin mines
Yaman Yener, Professor of Engineering at Northeastern University
Aylin Yener, holds the Roy and Lois Chope Chair in engineering at Ohio State University
Ahmet Yıldız, Associate Professor of Physics and Molecular Cell Biology at the University of California
Bilge Yildiz,Professor of Nuclear Science, Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pınar Yoldaş, architect, artist and Professor at University of California San Diego

Activism
Nonie Darwish, founder of Arabs for Israel
Furkan Doğan, student, known for being killed in the Gaza flotilla raid

American Civil War

Marie Tepe, vivandière who fought for the Union army

Architecture and design
Kalef Alaton, interior designer
Kaya Arıkoğlu, urban designer

Arts and literature

Etel Adnan, poet and visual artist
Haluk Akakçe, artist
Refik Anadol, media artist
Kutluğ Ataman, contemporary artist and filmmaker
Alev Croutier, writer
Sevgi Çağal, painter and sculpture
Adam Darius, dancer, mime artist, writer and choreographer
Burhan Doğançay, painter, photographer, and former soccer player
Ipek Duben, contemporary visual artist
Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine film critic
Rana Foroohar, business columnist and an associate editor at the Financial Times
Sururi Gümen, Illustrator and ghost artist behind Alfred Andriola's comic strip Kerry Drake
Ben Ali Haggin, portrait painter and stage designer
Timothy Guy Kent, artist
Jarett Kobek, author of the 2016 novel I Hate the Internet
Reha Kutlu-Hutin, journalist, animal rights activist, and President of 30 millions d'amis
Deniz Kuypers, writer
Shevaun Mizrahi, filmmaker
Mustapha Osman, caricaturist, model maker and set designer
Serkan Özkaya, conceptual artist
Hayal Pozanti, artist
Gizem Saka, contemporary artist
Ali Sar, journalist
Ozge Samanci, artist and Professor at Northwestern University
Hakan Topal, artist and founder of Xurban collective
Özel Türkbaş, belly dancer
Doğan Uluç, journalist
Ayse Wilson, artist
Jihan Zencirli, visual artist

Astronomy
Betul Kacar
Janet Akyüz Mattei, astronomer and director of the AAVSO
Feryal Özel, astrophysicist

Business

Melih Abdulhayoğlu, billionaire; founder, CEO, and president of Comodo Group
Tevfik Arif, founder of the Bayrock Group
Deniz Emre, entrepreneur; CEO of Federal Guardian
Yalcin Ayasli, business executive
Ali Aydar, CEO of Sporcle
Süreyya Ciliv, former CEO of Turkcell
Gorkem Somer, entrepreneur; President / CEO of Soft Touch
Zach Erdem, television personality and entrepreneur
Hikmet Ersek, CEO of Western Union
James Ben Ali Haggin, investor and founder of the Ben Ali Stakes
Osman Kibar, billionaire; founder and CEO of Samumed
Yalman Onaran, financial journalist
Eren Ozmen, billionaire; co-owner and president of Sierra Nevada Corporation
Fatih Ozmen, billionaire; co-owner of Sierra Nevada Corporation
Cemil Ozyurt, founder of U.S.-based Turk of America
Hasan Piker, Twitch streamer and political commentator
Muhtar Kent, former CEO and chairman of The Coca-Cola Company
Nabila Khashoggi, businesswoman
Murat Köprülü, investment professional and chairman of the American Turkish Society, and founder and chairman of the American Immigrant Society
Richard Lounsbery, businessman and founder of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation
Erol Onaran, founder of Erol's
Ahmet Mücahid Ören, CEO of İhlas Holding
Sadettin Saran, businessman
Mike Sarimsakci, businessman
Rosa Schupbach, economist
Leila Steinberg, business woman and the first manager of rapper Tupac Shakur (Mexican-Turkish mother)
Kenan Şahin, establishing partner in Lucent Technologies

Cinema and television

Derya Arbaş, actress
Jack Bannon, actor
Aclan Bates, director
Bea Benaderet
Turhan Bey, 1940s and 1950s film star
D'Arcy Carden, actress
David Chokachi, actor
Jason Davis, voice actor
Bilge Ebiri, journalist and filmmaker
Tarik Ergin, actor
Didem Erol, actress
Ayda Field, actress, married to British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams
Defne Joy Foster, actress
Rowby Goren, comedy writer
Murat Han, actor
Nicholas Kadi, actor
Kaan Kalyon, co-writer of Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and Hercules (1997)
Erin Kaplan, television and fashion media personality
Zachary Laoutides, actor, screenwriter and filmmaker
Erol Onaran, founder of Erol's TV, Erol's Video and Erol's Internet
Eren Özker, puppeteer on The Muppet Show
Daphne Oz, nutrition author and television host
Hal Ozsan, actor
Irma St. Paule, actress
Ayse Romey, actress
Ozman Sirgood, actor
Emre Sahin, film and television director
Tiffani Thiessen, actress
Louie Torrellas, actor and comedian
Onur Tukel, actor, painter, and filmmaker
Lev Yilmaz, filmmaker
Emrah Yucel, graphic artist for Hollywood movie posters

Early Turkish settlers to the US
Ibrahim Ben Ali, Ottoman Turkish soldier and physician who arrived in the US in the late 1790s

Fashion design and modelling

John Gidding, fashion model
Elle Fowler, beauty and style-related YouTuber
Blair Fowler, beauty and style-related YouTuber
Melissa Odabash, fashion designer
Dee Ocleppo, fashion designer

House of Osman
Ertuğrul Osman, 43rd Head of the Imperial House of Osman

Law
Halil Süleyman Özerden, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi

Medicine

Fikri Alican, surgeon and medical doctor
Münci Kalayoğlu, surgeon
Zeynel A.
Karcıoğlu, M.D., ophthalmic oncology and orbital diseases specialist, surgeon
Behram Kurşunoğlu, physicist, co-founder of the Center for Theoretical Studies, University of Miami
H. Nida Sen, clinical investigator at the National Eye Institute
Mehmet Öz, cardiothoracic surgeon and host of The Dr. Oz Show
Dr. Hasan Özbekhan, Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, founding member and first director of the think tank The Club of Rome, systems scientist, cyberneticist, philosopher, and planner

Music

Fahir Atakoğlu, pianist
Bülent Arel, composer of contemporary classical music and electronic music
Kathy Barr, singer
Atilla Engin, fusion jazz drummer
Ahmet Ertegün, founder of Atlantic Records, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and co-founder of the New York Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League
Nesuhi Ertegün, record producer and executive of Atlantic Records
Oak Felder, songwriter and record producer
Selim Giray, violinist
Eydie Gormé, singer
Isaac Guillory, folk guitarist
Kamran İnce, composer
Emir Işılay, composer and pianist
Tolga Katas, singer-songwriter, and record producer
Arif Mardin, Vice President and general manager of Manhattan Records
Joe Mardin, music producer and son of Arif Mardin
İlhan Mimaroğlu, musician and electronic music composer; founder of Finnadar Records
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, Grammy nominated composer
Neil Sedaka, pop singer-songwriter, pianist
Pamela Spence, pop-rock singer
Deniz Tek, founding member of Australian rock group Radio Birdman
Özlem Tekin, singer
Ömer Faruk Tekbilek, Turkish musician and composer
Pınar Toprak, composer

NASA
Ismail Akbay, served in various managerial capacities during NASA's Apollo, Skylab and Apollo–Soyuz projects
Deniz Burnham, lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve and NASA astronaut candidate
Serkan Golge, NASA contractor on NASA's proposed human mission to Mars
Dilhan Eryurt
Feryal Ozel

Politics

Zeyno Baran, scholar on issues on US-Turkey relations
Selin Sayek Böke, member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey
Osman "Oz" Bengür, Maryland Democratic Party Congressional candidate
Naz Durakoğlu, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
Fetullah Gülen, leader of the Gülen Movement
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (American-born and great-grandson of Ali Kemal)
Merve Kavakçı, Turkish ambassador to Malaysia
Hasan Piker, Twitch streamer and political commentator
Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks and candidate for California's 25th congressional district in 2020

Religion
Abdul Kerim al-Qubrusi, former representative of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order in the United States
Yusuf Ziya Kavakçı, Islamic cleric

Sports

Ayla Aksu, tennis player
Haydar Aşan, sprinter
Bora Aydınlık, football player
Chris Başak, Major League Baseball infielder
Hilmi Esat Bayındırlı, Paralympic alpine skier
Deniz Bozkurt, plays for the Puerto Rico national football team
Kasim Edebali, American football player
Korel Engin, basketball player
Erden Eruç, completed first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth by rowboat, sea kayak, bicycle and foot
Tunç İlkin, former Pittsburgh Steelers player and sports commentator
Ersan İlyasova, Milwaukee Bucks player
Enes Kanter, basketball player
Şebnem Kimyacıoğlu, basketball player
Yasemin Kimyacıoğlu, basketball player
Abdurrahim Kuzu, wrestler
Mehmet Okur, Utah Jazz player and 2007 NBA All-Star
Yılmaz Orhan, football player
Alp Ozkilic, mixed martial artist
Renan Ozturk, rock climber
Peri Suzan Özkum, diver
William Haggin Perry, horseracer
Nevin Nevlin, basketball player
Lisa Marie Varon, former professional wrestler known as Tara in TNA and Victoria in WWE
Ugur Taner, swimmer
Ferdi Taygan, tennis player
Cayman Togashi, football player in Japan
Tansel Turgut, chess player who earned the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster in 2007
Hidayet Türkoğlu, Orlando Magic player
Jonny Vandal, professional wrestler
Nevriye Yılmaz, basketball player
Ömer Yurtseven, basketball player
Rahim Zafer, manager of Dallas City FC

Other

Zeyno Baran, Director of the Center for Eurasian Policy
Orkut Büyükkökten, software engineer
Tantek Çelik, computer scientist
Brittanee Drexel, woman missing since 2009
Sibel Deniz Edmonds, former FBI translator