Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ was born in Erzurum in 1960. He completed his primary and secondary education in Erzurum and high school education in Ankara Atatürk High School. He graduated from the Medical Faculty of Atatürk University in 1984 and has obtained Medical Doctor Title. He performed his obligatory service as a practitioner in Karabük for 2 years. In 1990, he became Child Health and Diseases Specialist in the Medical Faculty of the Atatürk University.

He completed his studies in November 1992 which started in September 1991 on Molecular Biology Techniques and especially on PCR in "King's College School of Medicine" in London and came back to Turkey. He initiated the studies of "Diagnosis of Tuberculosis with PCR through making contributions to the establishment of the first Molecular DNA laboratory in the Eastern Anatolian Region through a research project" in line with these studies. In 1992, he became Assistant Professor in the Child Health and Diseases Main Branch of the Medical Faculty of Atatürk University; he got the title of Associate Professor in 1994 and the title of Professor in 1999. He completed the "Gene Therapy" course successfully held in the Sweden Karolinska Institute in 1998.

Between 1994 and 1998, he worked as Deputy Chief Doctor, Procurement Commission Head and Deputy Editor of the Medical Bulletin in the Research Hospital of the Medical Faculty of the Atatürk University. He was the Deputy Head of Atatürk University Biotechnological Implementation and Research Center between 1997-2000, member of the Medical Faculty of Atatürk University-Pittsburg University Cooperation Committee between 1998-2000, member of the Transfusion Committee between 1998-2002, member of the Commission of Pharmaceuticals, member of the Ethical Committee and head of the Pharmaceuticals Research Committee.

He is a founder member and board member of Erzurum Branch of the National Pediatrics Association, member of the Turkish Pediatric Hematology Association and member of the Turkish Hematology Association.

He has about 100 scientific articles and announcements. About 20 of these are of international character. The number of attribution included in Citation Index is 16. He gave speeches and took part as chairman in various meetings and symposia.

He won the Prize of the Article of the Year from the Chamber of Doctors of İstanbul in 1996.

He has been serving as a parliamentarian of Erzurum of the Justice and Development Party on 3 November 2002. He has been appointed as the Minister of Health of the Republic of Turkey on 18 November 2002.

He speaks English, and is married with 6 children.