A Life of Purpose. A Legacy of Impact.

Full Biography

Childhood, youth, and education

İsmail Yıldız was born in 1947 in the Alanya district of Antalya Province. Biographical sources cite the village of Karabuynuzlar and the İncekum quarter as his birthplace — a geographic detail tied directly to his origins: Yıldız’s family belongs to the Karabuynuzlar Yörük tribe, historically part of the Senir Beylik.

He received his primary education at the school of his native village. The next important stage in his development was his study at the Aksu Teacher’s School (Aksu Öğretmen Okulu) — it was here that the future researcher first became deeply acquainted with the world of literature and poetry. He then successfully graduated from Alanya High School (Alanya Lisesi).

After completing his secondary education, the young man worked for two years as a primary-school teacher in Aydın. His desire to broaden his professional horizons led him first to the literature department of the Selçuk Institute of Education in Konya, and then to the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University, allowing him to combine philological and legal expertise.

Professional path: education, law, and economics

The first half of İsmail Yıldız’s professional life was closely tied to education. He worked as a teacher of Turkish language and literature in various regions of the country, including Sivas-Gemerek, Istanbul, and Serik. He later returned to Alanya High School, this time as its principal. During this period Yıldız began to combine the administration of the school with a growing legal practice, and from 1981 he moved fully into independent legal work.

Beyond law, İsmail Yıldız was actively involved in the economic life of the region. He worked to develop the tourism sector and for a time held the distinguished post of Chairman of the Assembly of the Alanya Chamber of Commerce (Alanya Ticaret Odası).

Literary work and historical research

İsmail Yıldız gained wide recognition as a writer, poet, and tireless researcher of local history. The central thread of his creative pursuit was preserving the historical and cultural memory of Alanya, its Seljuk heritage, and its Yörük roots.

Over the years of his research he published a number of significant books:

• “Alaiye Beyliği ve Gülefşen’deki Kaygusuz Abdal”;
• “Bir Alanya Hengâmesi - Sisli Geceler” (published in 2004);
• “Aklıma Düştü”.

In April 2013 his fourth book, “Kleopatra ve Alanya” (“Cleopatra and Alanya”), was released, presented at the bar association’s office in the Alanya courthouse. Having conducted historical research in Italy and Egypt, the author actively championed the idea of translating this book into English, German, and Russian, declaring his readiness to hand the copyright to tourism organizations for the sake of Alanya’s international promotion and popularization.

In January 2020, Yıldız presented to the public his new, fundamental work — “Senir Beyliği ve Alanya Yörükleri,” devoted to the Senir Beylik and Yörük culture. In addition to scholarly historical prose, he published two poetry collections, and in May 2020 he released the widely acclaimed poetic work “Fetih Destanı” (“The Epic of the Conquest”), which artistically depicts the siege of the city by the Seljuk Sultan Alâeddin Keykubad in 1221. In 2018 the author also had in preparation a book devoted to the well-known local Çavuşoğlu family.

Public service and the legacy of the ALSAV Foundation

Yıldız made a substantial contribution to shaping Alanya’s socio-cultural infrastructure. He was a co-founder and board member of several notable organizations, among them the Alanya Tourism Foundation (ALTAV), the Yörük Association (Yörükler Derneği), and the Hamdullah Emin Paşa Education Foundation.

Central to his public activity was the Alanya Foundation for Culture, Art and Tourism (ALSAV), where Yıldız has for many years served without interruption as chairman of the board. Operating for more than three decades, the foundation carries out large-scale initiatives under his leadership. In 2015, for example, Yıldız coordinated preparations for the 13th Symposium on the History and Culture of Alanya together with the city’s mayor, Adem Murat Yücel. In 2022, together with the municipality, he organized a major Literary Meeting of the Poets and Writers of Alanya in memory of Tevfik Hacıhamdioğlu. As part of this work, Yıldız leads the collection of materials and biographies for the creation of a future comprehensive encyclopedia of local authors. He regularly presents the foundation’s publishing achievements to the district administration; in 2021, for instance, a foundation delegation presented its new books to the Governor (Kaymakam) of Alanya, Dr. Fatih Ürkmezer.

Political activity

İsmail Yıldız’s political journey began in 1983 in the ranks of the True Path Party (Doğru Yol Partisi — DYP), where for a time he headed the district organization in Alanya.

In May 2018, having felt an affinity for the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) since its founding, the lawyer officially announced his candidacy to run as a parliamentary candidate for AK Parti in Antalya Province in the elections of 24 June. Yıldız explained his decision by his wish to serve the country with his accumulated life and legal experience during a period of major state investment, as well as his aim to support his fellow townsman, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, for the further all-round development and prosperity of Alanya.