Prof. Dr. Mim Kemal Öke, a faculty member of our university and known for his successful art works, plays the role of Akşemseddin, who was the mentor of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and is considered one of the spiritual figures who contributed greatly to the conquest of Istanbul, in Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s (TRT) new production “Mehmed, Sultan of Conquests”.
The premiere of the series “Mehmed, Sultan of Conquests”, in which our university’s Department of Political Science and International Relations faculty member Prof. Dr. Öke, who, in addition to being an academician holding the title of Türkiye’s youngest professor, sets an example to young people by achieving successful works in the fields of culture and arts such as literature, theater and cinema, also starred, was held at the Haliç Congress and Culture Center. Prof. Dr. Öke added value to the series, the first episode of which was highly appreciated, with his role as “Akşemseddin”.
ART, A TOOL FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
In recent years, Prof. Dr. Öke, who starred in a movie titled “The Mute”, in the series titled “Great Seljuk Empire: The Awakening” which is broadcast on TRT screens, staged a play titled “Korkut Ata Stories”, and is also busy with many branches of art, explained his relationship with art with the following words: “In my opinion, art is perfect for both personal evolution and ‘socialization’. Of course, if you have time to spare! Frankly, I have always considered myself poor in terms of spare time. During the years when I was a student and then working as a faculty member, I was one of those who thought that being involved in art was a ‘luxury’. At the time, I always stayed away from art, which I saw as a waste of time, so that I could write one or two more scientific papers.”
“AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELAX”
Prof. Dr. Öke stated that art offers an opportunity to relax among the intensity of academic studies: “Even as a spectator, art was not much in my life! That is, it wasn’t as much a part of my life as it should have been! Otherwise, I loved watching theatre, concerts, even ballets and operas. Interestingly, I have never been fond of cinema, especially television! For me, everything was about reading and writing! Oh, I was wrong! I was denying myself opportunities that would give me a chance to relax. However, I couldn’t understand this at the time. I always stayed away from art, which I saw as a waste of time, so that I could write one or two more scientific papers.”
The cast of the series, produced by Eyüp Gökhan Özekin and directed by Şafak Bal, also includes names such as Serkan Çayoğlu, Sinan Albayrak, Selim Bayraktar, Fikret Kuşkan, Tuba Ünsal, Ali Nuri Türkoğlu, Kenan Çoban, Bülent Alkış, Seçkin Özdemir and Esila Umut.
