Mehmet Özdemir

Mehmet Özdemir is a researcher and writer specializing in Turkic Studies, with a focus on history, culture, identity, and the intellectual traditions of Turkic-speaking societies. He holds a degree in Arts and Humanities from İstanbul Üniversitesi, where he developed a strong foundation in historical analysis, comparative studies, and critical scholarship. Mehmet is ethnically Kurdish. However, due to the pervasive racism in Turkey, his parents chose not to speak Kurmanji with him, believing that concealing their Kurdish identity would better protect him. As a result, Mehmet only became aware of his Kurdish heritage around a decade ago—a realization that fundamentally reshaped his understanding of the Kurdish question in Turkey and Kurdistan. Now 37 years old, Mehmet seeks to shed light on the structural and societal racism of the Turkish state. He openly reflects on how this environment influenced him to internalize negative attitudes toward Kurds earlier in life, before he came to understand his own background as a well-educated adult.