Yiğit Bulut, a senior adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and a longtime advocate of unorthodox economic policies that drew widespread criticism from economists and investors, died early Friday morning at a private hospital in İstanbul. He was 53.
Bulut had been receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer, and his condition had reportedly worsened in recent weeks. His death was announced by former interior minister Süleyman Soylu.
President Erdoğan offered condolences on social media, saying he had learned of Bulut’s death “with deep sorrow” and praising him as a “valued colleague.” Erdoğan added, “May his place be in paradise.”
Bulut had served as a presidential adviser since 2014, when Erdoğan became president, and was a member of the Economic Policy Board. He played a prominent role in shaping public narratives around Turkey’s economic direction, often blaming foreign powers and interest rate lobbies for the country’s financial woes.
Born in 1972 in the northwestern town of Keşan, Bulut attended Galatasaray High School and Bilkent University before completing postgraduate work in Paris. He was the son of former Justice Party lawmaker Mustafa Bulut.
Before entering politics, Bulut worked as an economist and journalist, holding editorial positions at outlets such as CNN Türk, Radikal and Habertürk TV. Early in his career he was known for nationalist and secularist views and was critical of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), particularly its economic alignment with the International Monetary Fund.
His political transformation became especially visible during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, when he claimed foreign powers were using “telekinesis” and other means to destabilize Erdoğan. He later declared himself fully loyal to the president, famously saying, “If it’s necessary to die for Erdoğan, I will.”
Bulut was a leading voice in promoting Erdoğan’s unconventional belief that high interest rates cause inflation — a stance that sharply contradicts mainstream economics. He denounced the Turkish banking sector as part of a “financial occupation,” described the IMF as a tool of foreign domination and labeled critics of the government’s economic policy as agents of sabotage.
Economists have often cited Bulut’s influence in Turkey’s decision to keep borrowing costs artificially low despite soaring inflation and a rapidly depreciating lira. His rhetoric regularly targeted institutions like the central bank, which he believed should follow political leadership rather than act independently.
Beyond economics, Bulut became known for conspiratorial public statements, including warnings that foreign TV chefs could be undercover spies and that Israel was preparing a secret assault on Turkey. His remarks repeatedly attracted criticism even from within the AKP’s ranks.
Despite — or perhaps because of — his controversial statements, Bulut played a lasting role at Erdoğan’s side, shaping the administration’s economic message and nationalist discourse until his final days.
A funeral date had not been announced at the time of publication.