Said Nursi, Social, Political, Risale-i Nur, Republicanism 

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEDIUZZAMAN SAID NURSI  

Professor Öke was born in Istanbul in 1955, and graduated from the American Robert College in Istanbul after Şişli Terakki High School. He received his degree in history and economics from Cambridge University, England in 1977, then his M.A. from Sussex University, and his M. Phil, from Cambridge. He did post-doctoral work in Istanbul. In 1979 he worked for the Palestine Office attached to the Security Council of the United Nations. Professor Öke has published various articles outside Turkey and books on Ottoman history of the later period. In 1984 he was made Assistant Professor, and in 1985 was appointed as advisor to the General Director of the Department of Turkish Political History of Turkish Radio and Television. He has prepared various historical series for Turkish Television. In 1990 he was appointed Professor and continues to teach at Boğaziçi Univesity in Istanbul. In addition, Professor Öke writes articles on history for a daily newspaper, serves on the board of directors of a number of cultural foundations, makes television programmes, and continues his historical research. He has published more than ten books and numerous articles in Turkish and English.