Recep Şükrü BALKAN
Deputy General Manager of the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation

Recep Şükrü Balkan, a native of Korgun in Çankırı, was born in Üsküdar, Istanbul, in 1968. After completing his primary education, he pursued Qur’anic studies and achieved full memorization of the Qur’an at the Beykoz Göksu Qur’an Course in Istanbul. He subsequently graduated from Üsküdar Imam Hatip High School in 1989 and later from the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University in 1995. Following the fulfillment of his compulsory military service, he undertook further specialization at the Istanbul Haseki Training Center as part of its 14th cohort in 1997, completing his program in 1999.

That same year, upon successful completion of the müftülük examination, he commenced his first appointment as District Mufti of Hisarcık, Kütahya. His subsequent professional trajectory included appointments as District Mufti of Karapürçek,  Sakarya (2002), District Mufti of Hendek (2008), District Mufti of Gebze, Kocaeli (2011), and finally as Provincial Mufti of Sivas in 2013.

Following his appointment as Provincial Mufti of İzmir by decree published in the Official Gazette on May 3, 2018, he served in that capacity until his retirement on January 15, 2021.

On May 1, 2024, he was entrusted with the position of Deputy Manager General of the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation.

Recep Şükrü Balkan is married and the father of two children.