Renowned doctor Erdal Atabek has passed away

Renowned author and doctor Erdal Atabek has passed away at the age of 94 at the Acıbadem Hospital in Ataşehir, Istanbul, where he was receiving treatment.

A ceremony will be held for Atabek at the Cumhuriyet newspaper on Sunday, June 2.

Following the funeral prayer to be held at the Şişli Mosque after the noon prayer, Atabek will be laid to rest in the village of Çanta in Silivri.

WHO IS ERDAL ATABEK?

He was born in Adapazarı in 1930. Atabek, whose parents were teachers, spent his childhood in the schools of the Marmara region districts where his father served as head teacher. Atabek completed his primary education at Gaziosmanpaşa Middle School and graduated from Kabataş High School for Boys as the valedictorian. He began his professional life as a medical doctor in 1954 after completing his education at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Erdal Atabek, who served in the fields of Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Physiology Institute Assistantship, Internal Medicine Specialization, and Psychosomatic Diseases Specialization, had his first article published in Milliyet in 1965.

Following this, he began writing regular columns for the Cumhuriyet newspaper starting in 1966. Dr. Atabek, one of the leading figures in organizational struggle, held positions such as President of the Turkish Medical Association (1965), Chair and Member of Special Expertise Commissions in Five-Year Development Plans (1972-1978), General Manager of the Social Insurance Institution (1975), First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Security (1976), and Founder, Administrator, and Trainer of Family Schools (1980).

Atabek, who also gave lectures on family, youth, and culture in foreign countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, also contributed to the development of students in positions such as 'Communication Instructor' at the Müjdat Gezen Art Center (1994) and 'Social Psychology Lecturer' at the Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts (1996). In 2022, he was the recipient of the “Enlightenment Honor Award” given by the New Generation Village Institutes Association (YKKED) to intellectuals who have contributed to the culture of enlightenment. Atabek hosted the programs “Why and How” and “Questions from Life,” moderated by Çağdaş Bayraktar, on Cumhuriyet TV.

News Source: 12punto