Alev Alatlı (1944–2024) was a prominent Turkish intellectual, economist, and writer whose extensive body of work masterfully bridged the gap between Eastern and Western thought. Her global education included high school in Tokyo, an economics degree from Middle East Technical University, a master’s at Vanderbilt University as a Fulbright scholar, and doctoral studies in Philosophy and Theology at Dartmouth College, during which she also taught at Caan College.

After serving as a senior economist at the State Planning Organization and Istanbul University, and conducting research at UC Berkeley, Alatlı turned her focus to literature in the mid-1980s. She quickly became a powerful voice in Turkish letters, relentlessly questioning cultural identity and the trajectory of civilizations through her award-winning novels and essays. Serving on the Presidential Council for Culture and Arts Policy until her passing in 2024, she left behind a legacy of profound intellectual inquiry.