Gönül's childhood years were spent in Izmit and Istanbul. His father was a doctor. After finishing Ankara Science High School, he studied Medicine at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine and graduated as a doctor. He wrote in the "Aydınlık" ( People's Voice ) group since his high school years. In the 1980s, he started writing in "Sokak" and "Yeni Olgu" magazines and in 1986, "Kara", the first anarchist journal. Gönül moved from Istanbul to Izmir, and established the Izmir War Opposition Association.