Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,566

Gülek

Gülek /ɟyˈlek/ ASCII Gulek

“Gülek, the pass near Tarsus”3

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Place name
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
G
Contents§1–§8
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6Sources
  7. §7Questions
  8. §8Related

How do you pronounce Gülek?

Gülek

IPA /ɟyˈlek/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Gülek mean?

Gülek is the name of a town in the Tarsus district of Mersin and of the famous pass that leads down from the Taurus to the Çukurova plain. Known in antiquity as the Cilician Gates, the Gülek Pass is one of the main routes linking inner Anatolia with the Mediterranean coast. According to the name dictionary, Gülek is the Turkish adaptation of the ancient name Cilician Gates (Greek Kilikíai Pýlai). The surname carries this place name; the same dictionary notes that it can also be linked with the verb gülmek, “to laugh”.1,3

Grammar A bare place name.

That Gülek goes back to Gülek and Kilikía is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Gülek made of?

Gülek is a single root: Gülek (town near Tarsus; the Gülek Pass).

Gülek + root Gülek town near Tarsus; theGülek Pass GREEK Gülek “a town in Tarsusdistrict, Mersin” GREEK Kilikía “Cilicia; the Greekregional name behind…” Gülek Gülek root town near Tarsus; the Gülek Pass Gülek GREEK “a town in Tarsus district,Mersin” Kilikía GREEK “Cilicia; the Greek regional namebehind Gülek”
Gülek: parts and root words
  • Gülek Greek — a town in Tarsus district, Mersin3
  • Kilikía Greek — Cilicia; the Greek regional name behind Gülek1

How was the name Gülek formed?

Gülek belongs to the “place name” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Gülek?

  1. Tayyibe Gülek politician 1968–
  2. Kasım Gülek politician 1905–1996
  3. Berkay Gülek basketball player 1994–
  4. Mustafa Rıfat Gülek pharmacist 1878–1949
  5. Samet Gülek basketball player 1998–

People surnamed Gülek as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Gülek accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Cilician Gates accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Gülek accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Gülek

Q1

What does the surname Gülek mean?

Gülek is the name of a town in the Tarsus district of Mersin and of the famous pass that leads down from the Taurus to the Çukurova plain. Known in antiquity as the Cilician Gates, the Gülek Pass is one of the main routes linking inner Anatolia with the Mediterranean coast. According to the name dictionary, Gülek is the Turkish adaptation of the ancient name Cilician Gates (Greek Kilikíai Pýlai). The surname carries this place name; the same dictionary notes that it can also be linked with the verb gülmek, “to laugh”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Gülek?

The root word of Gülek is Gülek (Greek): “a town in Tarsus district, Mersin”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Gülek?

Gü·lek, 2 syllables; IPA: /ɟyˈlek/.