Yunus Emre Akkor was born in 1975 in Kilis.

With 25 years of experience in the kitchen and researching different food cultures, he has become a specialist in Ottoman, Anatolian and Middle Eastern food culture.

He was rewarded the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award in 2022.

Yunus Emre Akkor’s programs have been broadcasted on national television for many years. One of these is the documentary on food history, which consists of five seasons and sixty-five episodes, broadcasted on Turkey’s culture and arts channel TRT2. Various parts of the documentary were broadcasted on international social and digital media with subtitles in thirty-four languages.

Awarded by the General Directorate of Social Services for his social work, Akkor has received many accomplishments in cooking competitions.

Yunus Emre Akkor has received many degrees of appreciation from NGOs and government organizations for his contributions of promoting Turkish culinary culture.

He organizes special events and workshops in fairs conducted by the Turkish Ministry of Culture overseas.

His book ‘Ottoman Sea Cuisine’ won the ‘Best Fish and Seafood Book’ award in 2012 in the ‘Gourmand World CookBook’ awards, which is known as the Nobel of cookbooks.

In July 2014, Akkor’s two new books named ‘Homemade Ice Creams’ and ‘Ottoman Cuisine from Tradition to Universal’ were published by Alfa publishing house.

His most recent book, ‘Kayseri Cuisine’ won the ‘world’s best local cookbook’ award in the Gourmand World Cookbook awards in 2020.

Akkor is a writer for Skylife, the official magazine of Turkish Airlines. He works as a lecturer in Gastronomy at various different universities.

He owns a restaurant called Galeyan and a halva shop. He also provides advice for many hotels, restaurants and brands.

Yunus Emre Akkor is married and has three children named Ayla, Alaz and Arel.