Political anchor Hasan Piker, better known online as Hasan Abiy, is in the news after reports emerged that he had been refused entry to the UK by the Home Office. Meanwhile, a report published by the New York Post brought renewed attention to his college years and family background. According to reports, Hassan did not perform well academically while attending the University of Miami, and later transferred to Rutgers University with the help of his mother. It also included several allegations about his personal life from unnamed sources. Hassan Pike has not publicly responded to the report.As people discuss these claims, many are curious about the women mentioned in the stories. Hassan’s mother, Ülker Sedef Piker, built her own academic career and came from a family with strong ties to education, business and the media. Over the years, Hassan has also spoken openly about the impact she had on his life and the motivation she gave him while he was growing up.
Who is Ülker Sedef Piker? What did the New York Post report on Hasan Piker’s college life?
Ülker Sedef Piker, formerly known as Uyghur, is an art and architectural historian. She earned a BA in art history from Rutgers University and later earned a PhD from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where her research focused on architectural history and Orientalism.Ülker was born in Istanbul, Turkey, the daughter of Nuket Yavaşça and Doğan Uygur. Her brother is Cenk Uyghur, co-founder of the Young Turks party. According to family stories shared in interviews, Doan Uyghur grew up in a poor farmer’s family and later moved to the United States after receiving a scholarship to become a mechanical engineer. He eventually worked in real estate development and invested in the Young Turks. Urke’s mother ran a home textile business.Urke Married to political scientist and economist Mehmet Behçet Piker. They have two sons: Hasan Piker and Murat Piker, the latter an aerospace engineer.According to the New York Post, Hassan enrolled at the University of Miami in 2009 after returning to the United States. The outlet reported that he had a 2.9 GPA but struggled academically because he “partied too much.” After those results, Urke helped arrange for him to transfer to Rutgers University, where he graduated in 2013, the report said.Hassan has previously spoken passionately about his mother. In a 2016 birthday Facebook post, he called her:“The most badass, beautiful, ambitious, loving, loving, smart, and feminist woman on the planet.”He also wrote:“A few years ago, she returned to college to pursue higher education in art history with an emphasis on cultural preservation – all while managing her commercial real estate.”Hasan Piker added that he was inspired by seeing his mother continue her education and “gave me the drive to strive for excellence every day.”
