ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has offered his condolences to the family of renowned Kenyan Muslim academic Professor Ali Mazrui, who has died at the age of 81.
An expert on African studies, Mazrui passed away early on Monday at a New York hospital where he had been treated over the last couple of months.
Davutoglu said in his condolence message: "His efforts towards overcoming current problems, especially on the African continent, will always be remembered with appreciation."
The head of the Turkish government described Mazrui as a "personality who prospered in our intellectual world with his ideas and works, and who had a high sensitivity towards resolving the problems encountered by humanity today".
Mazrui was born on February 24, 1933, in Mombasa, Kenya.
He wrote several books, including "The Africans: A Triple Heritage" and "Christianity and Islam in Africa's Political Experience: Piety, Passion and Power."
He was a professor at New York's Binghamton University before his death.
He studied at Columbia University, University of Oxford, University of Manchester and Nuffield College, Oxford.
Mazrui was also a friend of world-famous figures like Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X and Mohammed Ali.
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