Boratav was born in
Konya. After his graduation from Ankara Gazi Highschool in 1955, he continued his studies at the
Law faculty of Ankara University. In 1960 he became a lecturer and researcher at that university in Finance and Economics, by getting a postgraduate degree on
Public Finances. He was granted a doctoral degree in 1964 with his thesis on “income distribution and public finance”. He taught at
Cambridge University between 1964 and 1966. In 1972 he was granted an assistant professorship at Ankara University for his thesis on "
Progress of the Socialist Planned Economy". In 1975, he worked as a specialist in the Health and Welfare Department of the
United Nations Organisation, in
Geneva, Switzerland. In early 1980, he became a professor at
Ankara University. But after three years, he was dismissed from his position after the "1402" law put into effect by the
Military coup of 1980 in Turkey. He then taught at the
University of Zimbabwe in
Harare from 1984 to 1986 and thereafter returned to his previous position at Ankara University. He has retired from teaching since 2002. He was honored in 2005 by a conference about his work, organized by Ankara University and History Foundation of Turkey. He continues to publish as one of the most influential scholars of Turkish economy and economic history. Boratav is a member of the Advisory Board of Praksis, a Turkish journal of social sciences. He is the son of renowned Turkish folklorist
Pertev Naili Boratav. == Works ==