İstiklal Marşı

English: Independence March
Classroom wall with the lyrics of İstiklal Marşı (far right).
National anthem of  Turkey  Northern Cyprus
Lyrics	Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Music	Osman Zeki Üngör
Adopted	12 March 1921
Music sample
İstiklal Marşı

	İstiklal Marşı with lyrics
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The İstiklal Marşı (Independence March) is the National Anthem of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, officially adopted on 12 March 1921 - two and a half years before the 29 October 1923 establishment of the Republic of Turkey, both as a motivational musical saga for the troops fighting in the Turkish War of Independence, and as an anthem for a Republic that was yet to be established.

Penned by Mehmet Âkif Ersoy, ultimately composed by Osman Zeki Üngör, the theme is one of affection for the Turkish homeland, freedom, and faith, of sacrifice for liberty, and of hope and devotion, explored through visual, tactile and kinesthetic imagery as they relate to the flag, the human spirit and the soil of the homeland.

The manuscript by Ersoy, between the title line İstiklal Marşı and the first text line, carries the dedication Kahraman Ordumuza – "To our Heroic Army", the army that won the Independence War. The lyrics reflect on the sacrifice of the soldiers during the War.

The Anthem is regularly heard during state and military events, as well as during national festivals, bayrams, sporting events, and school ceremonies.

Of the ten-stanza anthem, only the first two quatrains are typically sung. A framed version of the national anthem typically occupies the wall above the blackboard in the classrooms of every public – as well as almost every private – school in Turkey (accompanied by a Turkish flag, a photograph of the country's founding father Atatürk, and a copy of Atatürk's famous inspirational speech to the nation's youth).

The anthem was the subject of a brief copyright dispute in 2010, when GEMA, the German music copyright society, attempted to collect royalties on the anthem.^[1] The composition has also been adopted as the National Anthem of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.^[2]

A scroll displaying the first two quatrains of the anthem was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 100 lira banknotes of 1983-1989.^[3]

History[link]

Following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, a nation-wide competition was organized to select an original composition for a National March- for which a total of 724 poems were submitted. Mehmet Akif Ersoy, a very well known poet of the time, refused to participate in consideration of a monetary prize. He was called and convinced by parliament to write a poem, disregarding the prize. A ten-verse poem written by Ersoy was unanimously adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly following evaluation by parliamentary committee; the prize was granted to a society of veterans.

Shortly thereafter, twenty-four composers participated in another competition arranged for the selection of a musical composition that would suit the elected National Anthem best. The Council, which was only able to convene in 1924 due to the Turkish War of Independence, adopted the music composed by Ali Rıfat Çağatay.

Turkish lyrics[link]

Turkish Wikisource has original text related to this article: İstiklal Marşı

Wikisource has original text related to this article: İstiklal Marşı

Footnotes:

¹ Although "ırk" means "race" in contemporary Turkish, it had different associations in Ottoman Turkish. Also note that the poet was of Ottoman Kosovo origin. In Ottoman Turkish it also carries the connotations of 'generation,' 'offspring' and 'family linage.'^[4]

² A white crescent and star superimposed on a crimson background comprise the Turkish flag- the poet is invoking the image of the crescent and comparing it to the frowning eyebrows of a sulky face. The flag (and the spirit of freedom which it embodies, under threat from invading nations against whom victory initially seems impossibly difficult to achieve, hence "coy") is being treated as a coy maiden with a sulky face (symbolically, the resentment of the invasion) who is playing hard-to-get. That is, the "coy" flag is being "playful" about letting the troops achieve ultimate victory and thus, freedom.

³ This is actually a wordplay on the words hak (right) and Hakk (God).

⁴ A Turkish poetical word (with no direct English translation) that may refer to anything perceived by Man as a boundless expanse: the heavens, the oceans, the horizon, the Universe, etc.

⁵ What is being referred to as "civilization" is the invading European nations (France, Britain, Italy and Greece) and their armies, which were superior in terms of equipment and manpower to the war-stricken, undermanned, and underfed Turkish forces that were hastily assembled by patriotic civilians and ex-military officials following World War I. This tight collaboration between civilians and former armed officials was due to the Ottoman Imperial Court's internal corruptions and the presence of individuals in power who preferred to protect their own interests rather than the interests of the greater public. (see Sultan Vahdeddin and Damat Ferid Pasha) This self-preserving behavior manifested itself as political inaction, an openness to foreign manipulation, treacherous collaborationism and the much-protested acceptance of an unjust treaty - actions that ultimately resulted in a hurt national pride, widespread feelings of resentment and humiliation, as well as the anarchic dissolution of the Empire. It was at such a grim point in time that a defiant new organization of armed and civil forces, led by Atatürk, gave the people hope for the future through a series of successful battles and liberation campaigns, which gradually turned into an increasingly successful War of Independence.
Thus, the poet is calling out to the Nation, saying, as it were, "While 'the lands of the West may be armed with walls of steel', i.e., while these European armies may have seemingly impenetrable/unbeatable modern technology and weaponry, do not be fooled/discouraged by their apparent superiority. Look at what we have accomplished so far with virtually non-existent arms and supplies! We are horribly fatigued, and at a disadvantage in every conceivable way, yet we still are able to succeed in our battle for liberty! This seemingly undefeatable 'monster' has had almost every one of its teeth knocked out (hence, 'single-fanged') by our victorious campaign! Our motivation, faith, and internal drive is what has and will continue to carry us through, and that is something that our enemies cannot remotely match. All we need for ultimate victory is the ability to recognize our true 'innate strengths': a 'fiery faith' and the 'mighty chest (i.e. heart) of a believer'".

⁶ Prostration is the act of laying one's forehead on the ground as part of Muslim sacred ritual (see Namaz, As-Sajda or Salah). The image being painted here is that of a battle-fallen and pain-stricken man, who becomes ecstatic following the victorious end of the War of Independence. This is a man whose mind, body and soul have at long last found peace, and may finally ascend and reach the heavens, knowing that his homeland is finally safe and sound and that all his suffering was all worth it in the end.

Notes and references[link]

• History of the İstiklal Marşı from the website of the Washington Embassy of The Republic of Turkey- The Turkish Flag and National Anthem
• Official Records of the Grand National Assembly of The Republic of Turkey on the parliamentary debates and history of the İstiklal Marşı- Zabit Ceridesi - 12.03.1921 (Turkish)
• Society for the Study and Preservation of the İstiklal Marşı- İstiklal Marşı ve Tarihçesi (Turkish)
• Documentary on the Turkish National Anthem- İstiklal Marşı Belgeseli (Turkish)
• İstiklal Marşı Research Publication- İstiklal Marşı Anlam ve Önemi (Turkish)

External links[link]

• Turkey: İstiklal Marşı - Audio of the national anthem of Turkey, with information and lyrics
• Vocal of the İstiklal Marşı in Ogg Vorbis
• Dramatic Reading of the text of the İstiklal Marşı
• İstiklal Marşı - Instrumental version
• İstiklal Marşı - Acoustic Guitar version
• İstiklal Marşı - Electric Guitar version
• İstiklal Marşı - Baglama version
• İstiklal Marşı - Guitar Chords in PDF format
• The Original Composition by Ali Rıfat Çağatay

Mehmet Akif Ersoy
File:Mehmet Akif Ersoy.jpg
Born	(1873-12-20)20 December 1873 Fatih, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died	27 December 1936(1936-12-27) (aged 63) Istanbul, Turkey
Occupation	Poet, author, politician
Nationality	Turkish, Uzbek, Albanian
Literary movement	The Republican Era
Notable work(s)	Safahat
www.mehmetakifersoy.com

Reverse of the 100 lira banknote (1983–1989)

Mehmet Âkif Ersoy (1873, Fatih, Istanbul^[1] - 27 December 1936, Istanbul) was a Turkish poet, author, academic, member of parliament, and the poet of the Turkish National Anthem.

Widely regarded as one of the premiere literary minds of his time, Ersoy was further noted for his command of the Turkish language, as well as his patriotism and piousness and his support for the Turkish War of Independence.

As a gesture of gratitude, a framed version of the national anthem typically occupies the wall above the blackboard in the classrooms of every public as well as most private schools around Turkey, along with a Turkish flag, a photograph of the country's founding father Atatürk, and a copy of Atatürk's famous inspirational speech to the nation's youth.

He currently has a university in his name in Burdur. Ersoy's portrait was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 100 lira banknotes of 1983–1989.^[2]

Biography[link]

Ersoy was born as Mehmet Akif in Fatih, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire in 1873 to a conservative family, the son of İpekli Tahir Efendi, an Albanian from İpek, modern day Peć and tutor at the Fatih Madrasah,^[3] at a time when all institutions of the state were in terminal decline, and major crises and regime changes were underway. His mother, Emine Şerife Hanım, was of mixed Uzbek and Turkish descent.^[4] As he was about to complete his education at the Fatih Merkez Rüştiyesi, his father's death and a fire that destroyed his home, forced Ersoy to interrupt his education and to start working to support his family. He wanted to start a professional career as soon as possible, and he entered the Mülkiye Baytar Mektebi (Veterinary School), and graduated with honors in 1893.

In the same year, Mehmet Akif Ersoy joined the civil service and conducted research on contagious diseases in various locations in Anatolia. During these assignments, in line with his religious inclination, he gave sermons in mosques, and tried to educate the people and to raise their awareness. Along with fellow men-of-letters Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem, Abdülhak Hamit Tarhan and Cenap Şahabettin, which he had met in 1913, he worked for the publication branch of the Müdafaa-i Milliye Heyeti. He soon resigned from his government position and other occupations, and wrote poems and articles for the publication Sırat-ı Müstakim.

During the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmet Akif Ersoy was a fervent patriot. He made important contributions to the struggle for the declaration of the Turkish Republic, and advocated patriotism through speeches that he delivered in many mosques in Anatolia. On 19 November 1920, during a famous speech he gave in Kastamonu's Nasrullah Mosque, he condemned the Treaty of Sèvres, and invited the people to use their faith and guns to fight against Western colonialists. When the publication Sebilürreşat, which was then operating out of Ankara, published this speech, it spread all over the country and was even made into a pamphlet distributed to Turkish soldiers.

However, Mehmet Akif Ersoy earned himself his significant place in the history of the Republic of Turkey as the composer of the lyrics of the Turkish National Anthem. During the session of 12 March 1921, the Turkish Grand National Assembly officially designated his ten-quatrain poem as the lyrics of the national anthem.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy is an important national figure in the history of modern Turkey and has left an immortal trace in its history. During the republican period, Mehmet Akif Ersoy taught history and literature at various universities.

Ersoy temporarily relocated to Cairo due to a family-related matter in 1925, and taught the Turkish language at the University there during his 11-year stay. He caught malaria during a visit to Lebanon and returned to Turkey shortly before his death in 1936.

He was interred in the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery in Istanbul. Mehmet Akif Ersoy is the first person in the history of the Republic of Turkey to have the national anthem performed at his funeral ceremony.

Works[link]

Mehmet Akif Ersoy had abundant knowledge concerning traditional eastern literature. In addition, during the years he was studying at Veterinary school, he enjoyed reading the works of authors such as Victor Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine, Emile Zola, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

He is best known for his 1911 work entitled Safahat. This volume is a collection of 44 poems of various lengths by Mehmet Akif Ersoy. The earliest work that appears in this book is dated 1904, but this is unattested, and it is highly likely that the poet, who was 32 on that particular date, composed poems prior to that date.

He is further noted for writing the lyrics of Turkish National Anthem, İstiklâl Marşı (The March of Independence in English) – which was adopted in 1921, and is accepted by many Turks as their "National Poet". The lyrics were originally written as a poem in a collection of his writings. Paradoxically, one of his most famous works, a book called Safahat, was not widely read or published until recently. He studied veterinary science at the university.

In addition to his literary merits and his patriotic personality, Ersoy was a deeply pious man who was known on occasion to engage in Tafsir and for the few but particularly well-written poetic translations from the Qur'an he penned. Atatürk, who admired Ersoy and was deeply impressed with the samples of Tafsir Ersoy provided, asked the poet if he could translate the entire Qur'an into Turkish, as well as provide a commentary on its contents. Although he first accepted the offer, Ersoy soon realized that his command of Islamic theology and his knowledge of classical Arabic was insufficient to provide a thorough, proper and deserving translation of the exquisite Arabic in The Qur'an. To avoid the possible public circulation of a transliteration which may remotely be faulty, he burned the few pages that he worked on, and the job of creating the Turkish Tafsir of the Qur'an was given to one of the greatest theologians and academics of the day, Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, whose work is still regarded as the Tafsir of record in Turkey.

Other works are Süleymaniye Kürsüsünde (At the Chair of Süleymaniye, 1912), Hakkın Sesleri (Voices of God, 1913), Fatih Kürsüsünde (At the Chair of Fatih, 1914), Hatıralar (Memoirs, 1917), Asım (Asım, 1924), Gölgeler (Shadow, 1933), Kastamonu Nasrullah Kürsüsü'nde (At the Kastamonu Nasrullah Chair, 1921), Kur'an'dan Ayet ve Hadisler (Ayat and Hadith from the Koran, 1944).

See also[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Mehmet Akif Ersoy

• İstiklâl Marşı

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Grey Wolves - Listen Mehmet Akif Ersoy Online
• Biyografi.info - Biography of Mehmet Akif Ersoy
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy Vakfi - Mehmet Akif Ersoy
• Turkish Culture Portal - Mehmet Akif Ersoy
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Yeşim Gökçe, Bilkent University
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Çökerken, Vural Savaş

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

İsmet Özel (born 19 September 1944 in Kayseri) is a Turkish poet and scholar.

Early years[link]

Özel is the sixth child of a police officer from Söke. He attended his primary and secondary school in Kastamonu, Çankırı and Ankara. He attended classes at Political Science Faculty of Ankara University, but graduated from the French Language department of Hacettepe University.

Career[link]

Özel published Halkın Dostları magazine with Ataol Behramoğlu. Özel's songs of freedom derived its content from socialism but their structure and symbolism reflected the tastes of the Second New Generation movement in Turkish poetry. In the 1970s, Özel developed a mystic and Islamist view which shocked his leftist audience.

He worked as a French lecturer in the State Conservatory. He spent all his time writing after he retired. Because of both his interesting character and works, he took an impressive place among his contemporaries.

Özel, who published his early poems in 1963, became salient with densely using images and his meticulous effort to choose words. He collected his early poems in the book called Geceleyin Bir Koşu (A Run in the Night, 1966), in which he searches the truth of being human. His attributions about gathering the innovations and experimental sides of Turkish Poetry with social realism and his success to realize it caused to his second book called Evet İsyan (Yes, Rebel, 1969) made big echoes.

In 1970, he published Halkın Dostları review with Ataol Behramoğlu. In fact, Ataol Behramoğlu purified his poetry by leaving out crude propaganda and naive didacticism. İsmet Özel, perhaps the most talented of the group, turned to Islam for inspiration, but preserved the revolutionary bravura of his Marxist days. In following years, İsmet Özel experienced great changes in his political and philosophical approaches, and dedicated himself to the Islamic thought.

When asked by his friend Murat Belge, a noted socialist intellectual, the reason for his conversion, Özel replied, "a man looks either after his freedom or his security, but he cannot acquire one without the other. All my life has been a search for ontological security. I am convinced that I found this security in the Qur'an. Islam is a healing for me. Those who either have no wounds or are not aware of their wounds will have no need for this healing." However, Özel is convinced that mankind is sick. In Three Problems: Technology, Civilization and Alienation and in To Speak in Difficult Times and also It Is Prohibited to Eat the Stones, Özel argues that mankind is from an acute alienation which is a result of destructive technology, artificial division of man and nature, and the enlightened principles of Islam which emphasize the synthesis of the sacred and the profane is the only medicine available for this disease. Three Problems is one of the most influential books of recent times in Turkey.

Another following twenty years, he claimed that he broke the ties with the Islamic Media. His third work called Cinayetler Kitabı (The Book of Murders, 1975) was a perfect example of his quality in writing poems which it emphasizes the dedication to his early works.

In addition to putting his understanding of poetry, the book called Şiir Okuma Kılavuzu (The Handbook of Reading a Poem, 1980) also points an still being a research field: the contemporary position of Turkish Poetry.

In the book called Celladıma Gülümserken (When I Smile at My Executioner, 1984), the main borders of İsmet Özel’s poetic world clarified, he collected all his poems in the book Erbain / Kırk Yılın Şiirleri (Erbain - The Poems of 40 Years, 1987).

Except newspaper works, starting from 1960, he published his poems and works in Devinim 60, Papirüs, Yeni Dergi, Şiir Sanatı, Halkın Dostları (1964-71), Diriliş, Mavera, Gösteri, etc.

The most notable of these is undoubtedly the column he had in newspapers of Yeni Devir (1977-79 and 1981-82), beginning from 1981-82 / 1985 partially in the Millî Gazete, moreover also in the Yeni Şafak newspaper.

Both in these works and his first essay book called Üç Mesele' (In Three Problems: Technology, Civilization and Alienation) (1978), he defended that Muslims had to be dependent to the Islamic sources itself. He claimed that this is the most realistic and rightful effort in the conditions that is far and away from Islamic Sources.

He won the Writers’ Union Turkey’s Essay Award (1985) and Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral Award (1995) with his book Taşları Yemek Yasak (It Is Prohibited to Eat the Stones).

He told his views about intellectual agenda in the television program İsmet Özel'le Başbaşa (Alone with İsmet Özel) which was hosted by İsmail Kara on Channel 7^{[disambiguation needed ]}.

Özel has aimed at a new awareness of social responsibilities. In the 1970s, he adopted a mystical view of life without losing the strength of expression and inventiveness which he had evolved during his socialist period.

He has drawn upon his knowledge of Western philosophy, Marxist sociology, and radical Islamist political theory to advocate a modern Islamic perspective that does not hesitate to criticize genuine societal ills while simultaneously remaining faithful to the ethical values and spiritual dimensions of religion.

Özel, a Marxist convert to Islam: "I did not consider myself a part of the society I was in—but as a candidate for the courageous and uncompromising defense of the cause of the just."

Ismet Özel, an ex-Marxist convert and the most prominent Islamist intellectual, argued that it was Atatürk's reforms that, ironically Islamicized Turkey by forcing people to internalize and value their religious identity and not simply take it for granted as in the past.

He wrote a poem titled, Of not being a Jew, in which he lamented the fact that he felt like a pursued Jew, but had no second country to go to. "Your load is heavy / He's very heavy / Just because he's your brother / Your brothers are your pogroms / When you reach the doorsteps of your friends / Starts your Diaspora," he wrote.

"As a political system in Turkey, socialism is possible, Turkism is probable, Islam is certain", however in a recent article he defended the isolation of Muslims from the society unless they adapt to the secular democracy, and emphasized Islam as a political system in Turkey is dead^[1]

Bibliography[link]

Poetry[link]

1. Geceleyin Bir Koşu (A Run in the Night)
2. Evet, İsyan (Yes, Rebel)
3. Cinayetler Kitabı (The Book of Murders)
4. Celladıma Gülümserken (When I Smile at My Executioner)
5. Erbain (The poems of 40 Years)
6. Bir Yusuf Masalı (A Fairytale About Yusuf)
7. Çatlıycak Kadar Aşkî
8. Of Not Being A Jew

Books[link]

1. Üç Mesele
2. Zor Zamanda Konuşmak
3. Taşları Yemek Yasak (It is Prohibited to Eat the Stones)
4. Bakanlar ve Görenler
5. Faydasız Yazılar
6. İrtica Elden Gidiyor
7. Surat Asmak Hakkımız
8. Tehdit Değil Teklif
9. Waldo Sen Neden Burada Değilsin?
10. Sorulunca Söylenen
11. Cuma Mektupları - 1
12. Cuma Mektupları - 2
13. Cuma Mektupları - 3
14. Cuma Mektupları - 4
15. Cuma Mektupları - 5
16. Cuma Mektupları - 6
17. Cuma Mektupları - 7
18. Cuma Mektupları - 8
19. Cuma Mektupları - 9
20. Cuma Mektupları - 10
21. Tahrir Vazifeleri
22. Neyi Kaybettiğini Hatırla
23. Ve'l-Asr
24. Tavşanın Randevusu
25. Bilinç Bile İlginç
26. Şiir Okuma Kılavuzu
27. 40 Hadis
28. Henry Sen Neden Buradasın-1
29. Henry Sen Neden Buradasın-2
30. Kalıntürk
31. Çenebazlık
32. Şairin Devriye Nöbeti 1 - Tok Kurda Puslu Hava
33. Şairin Devriye Nöbeti 2 - Bileşenleriyle Basit
34. Şairin Devriye Nöbeti 3 - Neredeyizim
35. Şairin Devriye Nöbeti 4 - Ebruli Külah
36. Şairin Devriye Nöbeti 5 - Evet mi Hayır mı? Sınıf Savaşı Evet Milli Mücadele Hayır

Interview and Letters[link]

1. Sorulunca Söylenen
2. Genç Bir Şairden Genç Bir Şaire Mektuplar (Letters from a Young Poet to a Young Poet, correspondence with Ataol Behramoğlu, 1995),

Translations[link]

1. Siyasi Felsefenin Büyük Düşünürleri (Great Political Thinkers by William Ebenstein)
2. Gariplerin Kitabı (The Book of Strangers by Ian Dallas)
3. Osmanlı İmparatorlugu ve İslami Gelenek (Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition by Norman Itzkowitz)
4. Bilim Kutsal Bir İnektir (Science is a sacred cow by Anthony Standen)

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.dipnot.tv/10254/ikna-odalarina-giren-ogrenciler-cok-kizacak-ismet-ozel-ikna-odalari-tutarli-bir-isti.aspx

External links[link]

• (Turkish) On his life and poetry