He graduated from Faculty of Divinity, Marmara University (Istanbul) (1997). He received his MA and PhD in Islamic philosophy and sufi studies from Selçuk University (Konya). Dr. Özel taught history of Sufism. Sufi thought and literature in some different universities as Yalova University, Ibn Haldun University. And currently a faculty member at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at Istanbul Medeniyet University. He is the editör-in-chief of the monthly magazine Nihayet. He’s a member of editorial board of Center for Islamic Studies (ISAM) and also a member of advisory board of Ketebe Publishing House. His main academic interests are: Sufism in North Africa, Shadhiliyya, the formative period of Sufism, Turkish Sufi literature. He has many books, articles and papers published in these areas.