Çağıl Çayır was born on 17 August 1990 in Cologne on the Rhine as the third son of the Turkish teacher couple Mehmet Ali and Vesile Alev Çayır.
School Education
As a child, he attended the Catholic St. Franziskus daycare center in Cologne-Bilderstöckchen and the Catholic primary school on Baadenbergerstraße in Cologne-Neuehrenfeld. From 2000 to 2009, he attended the Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium in Pulheim, with a focus on German language and history.
Academic Education
From 2009 to 2018, Çağıl Çayır studied History and Philosophy in the dual-subject Bachelor of Arts program at the University of Cologne. Between 2018 and 2019, he attended advanced master’s seminars in Turkology in Bamberg and Comparative Literature in Cologne. Since 2025, he has been studying Philosophy in the Master of Arts program at University of Wuppertal.
Research Interests
His research focuses include philosophy of science, history of science, and comparative cultural studies — particularly in the European-Asian and German-Turkish context — as well as philosophy of peace.
Memberships
Since October 2025, he has been a member and deputy chairman of the Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft e. V. Bonn, founded in 1953.
Editorial and Publishing Activities
Since April 2022: Independent publisher
Since 2022: Culture Academy Çayır
Since 2023: Çayır Kültür Akademisi
Since April 2026: Editor of the “Mitteilungen” of the Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft e. V. Bonn
Publication History
In 2013, a three-year long-term television documentary about the life of Çağıl Çayır was broadcast on the German television channel ZDF.
In 2016, he gave his first public lectures at Philosophy Unbound at Spektakel in Vienna and at Philosophiert Frei! at the University of Cologne. In the same year, he also appeared as a guest rap artist at the Birlikte Festival in Cologne-Mülheim.
In 2017, he gave another public lecture at Philosophy Unbound during the art festival 48 Stunden Neukölln at the Boxhalle of Neuköllner Sportfreunde 1907 e.V. in Berlin-Neukölln.
Between 2017 and 2018, he published several of his academic papers from Cologne in various scholarly and popular media, including Visual History, Aufklärung & Kritik, and Tabula Rasa.
In 2019, he published his bachelor’s thesis on the previous research concerning the similarities between the Old Turkic and “Germanic” scripts through the University of Cologne publication server. In the same year, a major interview about his work appeared in the online edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ.NET), alongside a short video report published on the online channels of Medyatik.
In 2020, he published his own essay in the online edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ.NET).
In 2021, he gave online lectures at the Yunus Emre Institute Cologne and at the Association of Turkish Students.
In 2022, he republished his bachelor’s thesis as a book through his own publishing house, including a foreword by the Bamberg philosopher Heinrich Beck (1929–2024). In the same year, he appeared for the first time on Turkish television (live special broadcast on Ulusal Kanal, 8 September 2022) and gave a public lecture at the Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft e. V. Bonn. He also launched his personal YouTube channel and the so-called Kulturakademie Çayır, featuring interviews with academic experts.
In 2023, a documentary report about Çağıl Çayır was broadcast on Turkish television (TRT Türk), and the Turkish translation of his bachelor’s thesis was published by Kaynak Yayınları in Istanbul. Several Turkish television channels and newspapers reported on the publication, including Ulusal Kanal, OdaTV, and NTV. He also gave further public lectures at the Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft e. V. Bonn and at the Association of Turkish Academics at the University of Cologne. In addition, he launched the Turkish-language version of Kulturakademie Çayır. Furthermore, he published his first international academic article in the peer-reviewed journal of Turkology, Journal of Old Turkic Studies. At the same time, he began publishing science-journalistic essays on Nex24.
In 2024, he published his second international academic article in the peer-reviewed Journal of Old Turkic Studies, as well as further science-journalistic essays on Nex24. At the same time, he began presenting his Turkish book publication on YouTube.
In 2025, he continued publishing further science-journalistic essays on Nex24.
In 2026, he published his first historical edition through his own publishing house in German and in Turkish through Kutlu Yayınları in Istanbul. Further editions are currently in preparation.
Complete Publications
Monographs
„Runen“ in Asien und Europa? Eine wissenschaftsgeschichtliche Untersuchung zur Erforschung der Frage nach dem historischen Zusammenhang alttürkischer Schrift und Runen. Bachelor’s thesis (2018). University of Cologne, 2019.
Runen in Eurasien. Über die apokalyptische Spirale zum Vergleich der türkischen und „germanischen“ Schrift. With a foreword by Prof. Prof. h. c. mult. Dr. Dr. h. c. Heinrich Beck, Pulheim 2022.
„Cermen“ Runik Yazısının Türk Kökeni, Batı’da Runik Yazının Kökeni Üzerine Tartışmalar, Istanbul 2023.
Editions
Sven Lagerbring: Über die Ähnlichkeit der Sprachen Schwedisch und Türkisch. Brief an den Kanzleirat und Ritter Herrn Johan Ihre (Lund 1764), Pulheim 2026.
Academic Media
„Vom Comic zum Volksidol? Zur Geschichte von „Tarkan““, in: Visual History. Online encyclopedia for historical image research, 13 February 2018.
„Edgar Winds Thesen zur Geschichtsforschung. Angewandt am Beispiel der Gemeinsamkeiten alttürkischer Schrift und europäischer Runen“, in: Aufklärung und Kritik. Journal for free thought and humanistic philosophy, Vol. 25, No. 1/2018, pp. 157–167.
„Zum Vergleich der alttürkischen und „germanischen“ Schrift und Kultur“, in: Journal of Old Turkic Studies, 7/2, 2023, pp. 420–443.
„Zur Herkunftsdebatte in der europäischen Runenforschung“, in: Journal of Old Turkic Studies, 8/2, 2024, pp. 249–266.
Popular Media
„Tarch[u]na. Über die antike Geschichte der etruskischen Stadt“ (Tabula Rasa Magazin, 13 September 2017).
„Aristoteles und Atatürk. Aussagenlogische Untersuchung und Einordnung des Satzes „Frieden in der Heimat, Frieden im Universum (yurtta sulh, cihanda sulh)“ nach Aristoteles‘ Kategorienlehre“ (Tabula Rasa Magazin, 18 October 2017).
„Technik, ein ethisches Novum? Besprechung der fünf Gründe nach Hans Jonas“ (Tabula Rasa Magazin, 26 October 2017).
„Ein philosophier Essay über den Namen der internationalen Sportfeste „Olympische Spiele““ (Tabula Rasa Magazin, 8 November 2017).
„Wer hat Angst vor den Osmanen?“ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 6 March 2020).
„Ähnlichkeiten der germanischen und alttürkischen Schriftzeichen“ (Nex24, 28 December 2023).
„War Germanen-Gott Odin ein Türke?“ (Nex24, 4 January 2024).
„Odin Türkland’dan mı geldi? Yeni keşif önemli ipuçları veriyor“ (Aydınlık, 6 January 2024).
„Findings in Denmark: Was Germanic-God „Odin“ a Turk?“ (Nex24, 6 January 2024).
„Gemeinsamkeiten von Germanen und Turkvölkern“ (Nex24, 23 January 2024).
„Wolfgang Neuss: „Türkische Verwandte““ (Nex24, 23 January 2024).
„History of Science: Comparing Turkish and „Germanic“ runes“ (Nex24, 26 January 2024).
„Shamanism: Early Turkic and Germanic similarities“ (Nex24, 28 January 2024).
„„Türken waren Auslöser und Wetzstein europäischer Identität““ (Nex24, 2 February 2024).
„Kamların ebedi mirası“ (Aydınlık, 28 February 2024).
„Türkei-Spiele waren eine Offenbarung“ (Nex24, 11 July 2024).
„„Debatte um Wolfsjubel wird politisch polarisiert““ (Nex24, 14 July 2024).
„Das Wolfsbild ist ein gemeinsames Erbe der Menschheit“ (Nex24, 17 July 2024).
„Türkische Runen sind ein Welterbe“ (Nex24, 2 August 2024).
„Die lange Geschichte des Antitürkismus in Deutschland“ (Nex24, 18 August 2024).
„Türken und Deutsche sind alte Verwandte“ (Nex24, 24 August 2024).
„Aitolkyn Toktagan spielt Küy“ (Nex24, 30 September 2024).
„Befreiung in zwei Schritten – Der 8. Mai – Zum 80 Jahrestag des Endes des zweiten Weltkrieges“ (Tabula Rasa Magazin, 8 May 2025).
„Antitürkismus: Das älteste Feindbild Europas?“ (Nex24, 8 May 2025).
„„Die europäische Moderne ist durchzogen von Feindbildern““ (Nex24, 8 May 2025).
„Die Tora fordert nicht zum Töten auf“ (Nex24, 25 May 2025).
„„Sufi Devran“ „Huu“ in Köln – Als die Sufis tanzten“ (Nex24, 31 May 2025).
„Atatürk: Der Staatsgründer, der Religion und Wissenschaft vereinte“ (Nex24, 1 June 2025).
„Atatürk und die Freitagspredigt – Als der Staatsgründer selbst die Kanzel betrat“ (Nex24, 2 June 2025).
„Wie die Türken und der Islam das Papier nach Europa brachten“ (Nex24, 4 June 2025).
„Ibn Rushd: Der Philosoph, der Islam und Wissenschaft vereinte“ (Nex24, 9 June 2025).
„Goethe und Hafis – Liebe verbindet Seelen“ (Nex24, 9 June 2025).
„Nobelpreisträger Aziz Sancar und Merih Demiral mit Wolfsgruß“ (Nex24, 10 June 2025).
„Schule von Salamanca: Vorbild für die Türkei?“ (Nex24, 13 June 2025).
„Türkische Kriegszimbeln und das osmanische Mehterhâne“ (Nex24, 13 June 2025).
„„Pfeif nachts nicht!“ – Die stille Verwandtschaft zwischen Türken und Indianern“ (Nex24, 24 June 2025).
„Deutsche Weisheit und die Menschheitsfamilie“ (Nex24, 25 June 2025).
„Antitürkismus in der Forschung – Nachwuchsforscher grenzen Türkvölker aus“ (Nex24, 12 July 2025).
„Von Gallipoli bis Köln: Wie türkische Soldaten und Arbeiter die Weltgeschichte prägten“ (Nex24, 27 September 2025).
„Die vergessenen deutschen Märtyrer von Gallipoli 1915“ (Nex24, 3 October 2025).
„Tengri – Der Gott, der das „türkische Volk rettete““ (Nex24, 3 October 2025).
„Vom Himmelszelt zur Moscheekuppel“ (Nex24, 5 October 2025).
„Gott und die Menschenwürde im Grundgesetz“ (Nex24, 5 October 2025).
„Lex Aeterna – Das ewige Gesetz und die Geschichte der Menschenrechte“ (Nex24, 6 October 2025).
„Die Sprache der Hände und Körper im Gebet“ (Nex24, 8 October 2025).
„Vom Balbal zum Friedensdenkmal – Wie die Türken ihre Feinde ehrten“ (Nex24, 10 October 2025).
„Die universelle Sprache des islamischen Gebets“ (Nex24, 12 October 2025).
„Deutsche und türkische Zusammenarbeit: Ein verborgener Motor der deutschen Einheit“ (Nex24, 2 November 2025).
„UNESCO: Welttag der türkischen Sprachfamilie“ (Nex24, 5 November 2025).
„Rakı – Warum die türkische Trinkkultur weltweit einzigartig ist“ (27 November 2025).
Videos
„Gibt es rein geistige Wesen?“ with Prof. emer. Prof. h. c. mult. Dr. Dr. h. c. Heinrich Beck, 6 July 2022.
„Die Begegnung der Kulturen als Ziel der Geschichte“ with Prof. emer. Prof. h. c. mult. Dr. Dr. h. c. Heinrich Beck, Kulturakademie Çayır, 20 November 2022.
„Die Bamberger Götzen und ihre asiatischen Verwandten“ with Dr. Cornelia Lohwasser, Kulturakademie Çayır, 6 December 2022.
„Die Runenschrift“ with Hon. Prof. Dr. Arnulf Krause, Kulturakademie Çayır, 16 June 2023.
„Tengrizm ve Şamanizm“ with Udgan Khaliun Sukhbat, Kültür Akademisi Çayır, 21 October 2023.
„Gök Tanrısı“ Terimi with Prof. Dr. Abdullah Azmi Bilgin, Kültür Akademisi Çayır, 19 November 2023.
„Türk Şamanlığı“ with Prof. Dr. Fuzuli Bayat, Kültür Akademisi Çayır, 16 April 2024.
Television Appearances
„Orhon ve Runik yazıtlarının benzerlikleri“ (Dr. Doğu Perinçek, Özel Yayın, Nuh’un Gemisi), Ulusal Kanal, 8 September 2022.
„Cermen Runik Yazısının Türk Kökeni!“ (Oğuz Polatbilek, Dr. Doğu Perinçek, Fikir Meydanı), Ulusal Kanal, 28 October 2023.
„Runik Yazıyla Türkçe Arasındaki Benzerlik!“ (Dr. Doğu Perinçek, Mustafa İlker Yücel, Nuh’un Gemisi), Ulusal Kanal, 31 October 2023.
„Runik yazısının Türk kökeni“ (Dr. Doğu Perinçek, Mustafa İlker Yücel, Çıkış Yolu), Ulusal Kanal, 26 November 2024.
„İfade Özgürlüğünün Sınırı Olmalı mı?“ (Öznur Küçüker Sirene, Gençler Ne Diyor?), TRT Türk, 3 December 2023.
„Avrupalıların Kökeni Türk mü?“ (Seda Öğretir, Prof. Dr. Zafer Duygu, Selçuk Eracun, Melis İşiten, Zincirleme Reaksiyon, Episode 46), NTV, 8 December 2023.
„Avrupalı Türkler Avrupa’nın Geleceğine Umutla Bakıyor mu?“ (Öznur Küçüker Sirene, Gençler Ne Diyor?), TRT Türk, 28 January 2024.
„Türkiye AB’den Kopuyor mu?“ (Öznur Küçüker Sirene, Gençler Ne Diyor?), TRT Türk, 18 February 2024.
„Büyük Strateji“ (Dr. Özgür Tör, Dr. Erdoğan Karakuş), Lider Haber, 6 March 2025.
„Büyük Strateji“ (Dr. Özgür Tör, Dr. Erdoğan Karakuş), Lider Haber, 3 April 2025.
„Türk tarihinde Tanrı Düşüncesi“ (Dr. Doğu Perinçek, Mustafa İlker Yücel, Çıkış Yolu), Ulusal Kanal, 12 August 2025.
„Gizemin İzinde“ (Songül Yorulmaz), Episode 7, TV42, 30 August 2025.
„Büyük Strateji“ (Dr. Özgür Tör, Dr. Erdoğan Karakuş), Lider Haber, 7 October 2025.
„Büyük Strateji“ (Dr. Özgür Tör, Dr. Erdoğan Karakuş), Lider Haber, 14 October 2025.
Television Documentaries
„20-40-60: Unser Leben! Teil 1, Auf dem Sprung“ (Dominique Klughammer, 37 Grad), ZDF, 6 August 2013.
„Bir dua bir insan“ (Halil Sarı), TRT Türk, 8 April 2023.
Newspaper Interviews
Dr. Uwe Ebbinghaus, „Das Geheimnis der alttürkischen Runen“ (Neues von den Germanen 7), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 22 August 2019.
Kaan Arslanoğlu, „Cermen yazısı Türk çıktı“, OdaTV, 18 November 2023.
Kaan Arslanoğlu, „Cermen” Runik Yazısının Türk Kökeni“, OdaTV, 25 November 2023.
Emrah Bekçi, „Runik yazıda Avrupa’da bir Türk“, dikGAZETE, 11 September 2024.
Vorträge
Beweg die Massen. Über Hiphop und Philosophie (Philosophy Unbound, PU #9, Musik, Spektakel, Hamburgerstrasse 14): 1050 Wien, Österreich 08.04.2016.
Hip Hop. Ein Urprinzip der menschlichen Zivilisation (Die Fachschaft Philosophie (Veranstalter), Philosophiert Frei! Vorträge von Studierenden für Studierende): Universität zu Köln 10.11.2016.
UNESCO Welttag der türkischen Sprachfamilie und die deutschen Pioniere der alttürkischen Forschungen (Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft e. V. Bonn), Haus an der Redoute, Bonn – Bad Godesberg: 30.01.26.
Reception
Anonymous, „20-40-60 – Unser Leben! [1/3] Auf dem Sprung“. Film by Dominique Klughammer, Phoenix, 6 August 2013.
Anonymous (via Deutsche Presseagentur), „20-40-60: Drei Generationen – drei Jahre“, Main-Echo, 6 August 2013.
Anonymous (via Deutsche Presseagentur), „Das Leben in einer Dreierdoku“, Rheinische Post, 6 August 2013.
Kemal Cem Yılmaz, „Halkların Koparılma Yanılgısı“, Aydınlık, 29 March 2021.
Kemal Cem Yılmaz, „Halkların Koparılma Yanılgısı 2“, Aydınlık, 29 March 2021.
Gunivortus Goos, Germanic Magic, Norderstedt 2019.
Michael Knüppel, „Göttinger Gelehrte und die Anfänge der alttürkischen Forschungen“, in: Rocznik Orientalistyczny. Yearbook of Oriental Studies, Vol. LXXIII, Issue 1, 2020, pp. 97–107.
Kazım Doğan, „Tarihçi Çayır: ZDF’in paylaşımı bilimden çok Nazi propagandasına uyuyor“, E-Gazete, 12 April 2021.
Anonymous, „ZDF’in tepki çeken Atatürk paylaşımı Nazi propagandası“ (via E-Gazete), ARTI49, 13 April 2021.
Alp Hamuroğlu, „Türklerle Cermenler akraba mı?“, Aydınlık, 6 November 2023.
Yaşar Yeniçerioğlu, „Runik Yazı Tartışmalarının Sonucu“, Kamudan Net Haber, 18 February 2024.
Yaşar Yeniçerioğlu, „Odin Türk’müş!..“, Kamudan Net Haber, 21 January 2024.
Yaşar Yeniçerioğlu, „Odin Türk’müş 2“, Kamudan Net Haber, 28 January 2024.
Yaşar Yeniçerioğlu, „Runik Yazı“, Kamudan Net Haber, 4 February 2024.
Yaşar Yeniçerioğlu, „Türk Runik Yazı Tartışmaları“, Kamudan Net Haber, 11 February 2024.
Halil Altıparmak, „Cermen yazısı ve Türk bağlantısı“, Adana 5 Ocak Gazetesi, 22 April 2024.
İbrahim Soytürk, „Cermen de Türk Yazısı Çıktı! Tarih Felsefecisi Çağıl Çayır’ın Büyük Keşfi“, Türk Yolu, 13 November 2024.
Halil Altıparmak, „Cermen yazısının Türk kökeni“, Adana 5 Ocak Gazetesi, 16 December 2024.
Michael Schulte, „Neues zur Runenkunde“, in: NOWELE. North-Western European Language Evolution, Vol. 77, Issue 2, December 2024, pp. 195–207.
Nominations
„Zeitgeschichte digital“-Preis 2019 (Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Leibniz Center for Contemporary History Potsdam – ZZF Potsdam).
Trivia
Çağıl Çayır began his publishing and media activities as a teenage rap artist. Alongside his school and academic education, he also acquired skills in audio-visual media production. He gained his first acting experiences as a primary school student.
From 2009 to 2013, he studied Muay Thai under master trainer Andreas Sopper at the Martial Arts Cologne sports club in Cologne-Nippes.
He financed his studies through various occupations, including work as a food and flower courier, bartender and waiter, advertising and cleaning assistant, and as a temporary lifeguard at the public swimming pool in Pulheim.
Occasionally, he participated in various film productions and projects of his brothers and friends. In 2015, he played the leading role in the SAE graduation film „Project Aldebaran“ by Georgios Mavridis.
Çağıl Çayır was significantly influenced by his correspondence with leading scholars from various academic fields, as well as especially by his private friendship with the Bamberg philosophy professor Heinrich Beck.
Since a bicycle accident in 2020, he has suffered from a slight walking disability caused by chronic pain.
In 2021, he met the world-renowned Mongolian shaman, chief, teacher, and author Galsan Tschinag and was invited to Mongolia for the Mongolian New Year celebrations in 2023. There, on 13 March 2023, Çayır was recognised and ceremonially honoured as a shaman by Udgan Khaliun Sukhbat, director of Golomt Tuv, one of the oldest and largest traditional Mongolian shamanic and Tengrist organisations.
Correspondence
Çayır maintained correspondence and scholarly exchanges with various researchers, philosophers, historians, Turkologists, and cultural scholars from Europe and Asia. Particularly influential were his exchanges with the philosopher Prof. Heinrich Beck, whose support and intellectual companionship shaped parts of his academic development.
Opinions About Him
“Çağıl carries ideals within himself and wants to fight for a better society. Will he succeed despite constantly being confronted with prejudices and clichés?”
Rheinische Post / Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Das Leben in einer Dreier Doku, Berlin 2013.
“The similarities between Germanic and Old Turkic runes are astonishing. For a long time, they were neglected in academia. A student of Turkology is trying to revive an old debate.”
Uwe Ebbinghaus, Das Geheimnis der alttürkischen Runen (Neues von den Germanen 7), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung / FAZ.NET, 22 August 2019.
“With his work Runen in Eurasien, Çağıl Çayır presents a study that may be regarded as pioneering in the field of historical research. The book examines in depth the historical connections between Old Turkic scripts and Germanic runes. By building a bridge between the cultures of Eurasia, the work marks a potential turning point in research.”
Amazon customer review, Runen in Eurasien […], 22 April 2024.
Contact
E-mail: cagil@cagilcayir.com