Writer Cevat Özkaya has been laid to rest. Cevat Özkaya, one of the founders of Pınar Yayınları, its Genel Yayın Yönetmeni (editor-in-chief) and a writer, who died at the age of 72 due to colon cancer, was bid farewell on his final journey in Istanbul. His family and loved ones were also present at the ceremony. Many figures from the world of culture and arts attended the funeral ceremony held at the İlahiyat Fakültesi Camisi (Faculty of Theology Mosque) of Marmara University in Üsküdar, while condolences were received by his brother Ekrem Özkaya and his son Taha Özkaya, as well as his brother-in-law, writer Abdullah Yıldız.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez, Rector of the Türkiye International Islamic, Science and Technology University, stated that Özkaya had built bridges of ideas by bringing the thinkers of the Islamic geography to Turkey, and noted that they had seen him in Bosnia, in Crimea and in Kafkasya (the Caucasus). “He grieved with the troubles of the Muslim geography,” he said. Görmez also recounted the “is the spring flowing?” conversation that had taken place between him and Özkaya.
They served together. Abdullah Yıldız described Özkaya as a companion in the cause and a relative, saying that they had served together at the Araştırma ve Kültür Vakfı and Pınar Yayınları. They also worked in the Bosna Dayanışma Grubu.
Writer Ercan Yıldırım spoke. Emphasizing that Özkaya held an exceptional place in Turkey’s intellectual life, Yıldırım described him as a visionary thinker and a valuable publisher. He stated that an era in Turkey had come to an end with his death and noted that he was one of those who carried the torch of mastery until the very last moment.
Why it matters
The death of Cevat Özkaya signifies more than the loss of a publishing house founder; it marks the loss of one of the bearers of the intellectual bonds forged between Turkey’s intellectual life and Bosnia, Crimea, and the Caucasus. Abdullah Yıldız’s description of him as a companion in the cause, together with their shared record of service at the Araştırma ve Kültür Vakfı and Pınar Yayınları, shows that Özkaya undertook publishing as a responsibility that went beyond a profession; his work in the Bosna Dayanışma Grubu demonstrates that this responsibility was not confined to books. The assessment voiced at the funeral that an era had come to an end reveals that the loss extends beyond his family and close circle to his readers and intellectual circles. The question the development leaves open is by whose hand, and how, this publishing line and these intellectual bridges will be carried on in the absence of one of the founders of Pınar Yayınları and its editor-in-chief.
Background
Özkaya is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 2 news items mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated September 24, 2026.