Dear readers,
We dedicate the January 2026, Issue 16 of the Journal of General Turkish History Research (GTTAD) to the cherished memory of the esteemed scholar Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet ŞEN, who devoted great effort to Turkish historical studies.
Born in Zonguldak in 1977, Muhammet ŞEN completed his undergraduate and master’s studies at Kütahya Dumlupınar University and earned his doctorate in the Department of Turkish History at the Institute of Social Sciences, Ege University. His academic journey, which began with state-funded research conducted at Kazan State University between 2009 and 2010 and came to an untimely end with his passing in 2025, was marked by unwavering dedication to the field of General Turkish History. Throughout this journey, Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhammet ŞEN distinguished himself as an eminent scholar, a devoted academic, and a guiding figure in his discipline. He served for many years in the Department of Turkish History at the Turkish World Research Institute of Ege University; over the course of an academic career extending from research assistantship to associate professorship, he educated countless students and exemplified an outstanding academic persona through his scholarly productivity and intellectual rigour.
Our esteemed colleague’s academic interests focused particularly on the history of the Crimean Khanate, Ottoman–Russian relations, the politics of the Black Sea basin in the early modern period, and the historical issues of the Turkic world. His doctoral dissertation entitled “The Period of Selim Giray I in the Crimean Khanate (1671–1704)” has become one of the principal reference works both in Crimean historiography and in studies concerning Ottoman–Crimean relations. His articles examining the Ottoman–Russian wars through the memoirs of the Scottish General Patrick Gordon, his original analyses of Russia’s policies towards Azov and the Black Sea, and his historical studies on Turkestan and the Caucasus clearly demonstrate the depth of his scholarly identity and his interdisciplinary perspective.
Remembered not only for his publications but also for his academic stance, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet ŞEN was a historian who combined scientific curiosity with meticulous archival research and consistently prioritised an objective, source-based approach to historiography. The theses he supervised at both master’s and doctoral levels, the national and international conferences in which he participated, the projects he conducted, and the duties he undertook on academic juries are concrete indicators of the institutional contributions he made to Turkish historiography. In particular, his studies on Crimea, Ukraine, and the Ottoman geography significantly contributed to strengthening academic interest in these fields within Türkiye.
Yet we remember our colleague not merely as a productive academic, but also for his humble character, his sincere concern for his students, the collegial support he offered to his peers, and his uncompromising stance on scientific ethics. He was one of those rare scholars who united respect for knowledge with respect for people. The horizons he opened for young researchers, the encouragement he provided, and the passion for scholarship he instilled will remain his most enduring legacy.
The passing of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet ŞEN has constituted a profound and irreparable loss not only for Ege University and the Institute of Turkish World Studies, but also for the wider community of General Turkish History scholars. His absence will continue to be felt both in the sphere of scholarly production and in the realm of human and professional solidarity. Today, many academics working on Crimean history, Ottoman–Russian relations, and Turkish world studies continue to follow the path he opened; the scholarly legacy he left behind remains a source of inspiration for new generations of researchers.
As the Journal of General Turkish History Research, while dedicating this issue to the memory of our esteemed colleague, we commemorate him with respect and gratitude. His invaluable contributions to Turkish historiography, the students he trained, and the scholarly works he produced will ensure that his name lives on forever.
May his soul rest in peace.
EDITORS
Prof. Dr. Mustafa GÖKÇE
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür TÜRKER