T.C. ANTALYA VALİLİĞİ İL MİLLİ EĞİTİM MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ

İSTİKLAL MARŞININ KABULÜNÜN 100.YILINDA

MEHMET AKİF ERSOY VE 100 ETKİNLİK

This study was carried out within the Scope of 100 Events Project on the 100th Anniversary of the Acceptance of the Turkish National Anthem by Muratpaşa District Gazi Anatolian High School and Antalya High School Foreign Language Department Teachers and Students.

April 2021 Muratpasa / ANTALYA

‘’ Who wouldn’t be sacrificed for the sake of the heavenly homeland ?’’

MEHMET AKIF ERSOY 1873-1936

PREFACE There are heroes whose names are unknown.They save the future of their country with their hearts and blood. There are some heroes who leave a tracey in they hearts with what they do and their works. There are poems which are oppressed with heroes’ epics. In their every sylablle the spirits of the heroes rise up in the sky and they are those who made a piece of land homeland. Flags which mean the symbol of independence wave in its each verse. Here is, Mehmet Akif Ersoy who is one of the great poets and he is who made a mark in the last period of Turkish history. He wrote theTurkish nation’s love of independence, patriotism and faith with his words in his poems. At the same time he was a great philosopher and a great orator.

When the enemy began to occupy his homeland, he gave up all his work and did more than he could to prevent the occupation of his homeland. He sometimes preached in mosques, he sometimes contributed to the national resistance with the newspapers he released, he sometimes enthused his nation with the poems he wrote. The most important thing he did was that he wrote the National Anthem of Turkish Nation which will be the sign of the independence of the nation in the history scene. Our Flag and our National Anthem clearly declare to the World why we exist in this geography.

THE LIFE OF MEHMET AKIF ERSOY Mehmet Akif Ersoy was born in , in 1873. His father, Ipeli Tahir Efendi, was a lecturer in Fatih. His mother, Emine Şerife Hanım, was the daugther of Mehmet Efendi from Buhara,. As being raised in a poor middle class Turkish muslim family traditions in Fatih district in İstanbul, after his primary and secondary school education, he was enrolled to Political Sciences in 1888. But he had economical problems after he had lost his father.Then he couldn’t afford the school, so he passed to Faculty of Veterinary Science as a free boarding student. He married Ismet Hanım, the daughter of Mehmet Emin Bey of armory treasurer, in 1898. From this marriage he had three daughters named as Cemile, Feride and Suad; and three sons named as Ibrahim Naim, Emin and Tahir. Akif was also an orator. He worked as a co-principal at Veteninary Department in Ministary of Agriculture. Because of this duty, he had been long journeys from to Rumeli . Mehmet Akif Ersoy also interested in wrestling as he considered a good example of manhood and bravery. He encouraged the young to do sport to be strong. He studied at University as a Liturature Professor.Then he became an editor at the Sıratımustakin Magazine which was also released as a name of Sebilurresad. At the end of 1912, he resigned from his job at Ministary of Agriculture after returning a very long journey from Medina. He became devestated after the enemy invasion of Izmir, he went to Balıkesir and tried to motivate the people by giving sermons from mosques behalf of Independence War of . He went to on 9th May, in 1920. He continued to give sermons at mosques in Konya and . He was elected as a Cabinet Minister of Burdur at Turkish Grand National Assembly and in January 1921, he returned back to Ankara. During his Cabinet Ministery he stayed in Tacettin Lodge in Ankara. He returned to Istanbul in 1923. After 1925,he lived in Egypt for a long time. He got cirrhosis in 1935, then he returned the country in June in 1936. Our independence poet died on 27th December in 1936.

HIS ARTISTIC PERSONALITY

Akif, a socialist poet, used public language in his poems in that period but sometimes he also used Arabic – Persian words and phrases in his verses. He wrote his poems in syllabic meter . Mehmet Akif is realistic and socialist. Contrary to the poets writing in artistic axiety, he observed people living in simple folk strata very well and reflected the society in his epos. He is patriotic. He didn’t remain indifferent to the occupation of Anatolia, in order not to diminish the independence flame started in Anatolia, he enhused the nation addressing to crowd with his poems, articles, sermons with national and spiritual feelings and made a great cotribution to the Turkish National Strugle for Independence.

HIS WORKS Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s most important work is Safahat. Safahat is a seven-part of work consisting of poems written by the poet from 1908 until his death and selected by the poet himself.

Safahat

1- Safahat 1. Book ( 1911 ): It includes social and historical epic stories, some epic descriptions written between 1908-1910. 2- Süleymaniye Kürsüsünde ( 1912 ): It is a long poem written with the aim of preaching the Islamic Union under the Turkish Flag. 3- Hakkın Sesleri ( 1913 ): This book whic collects his poems written in 1912-1913 is the third wolume of Safahat. The poet interprets some verses and hadiths in that volume. He tries to ease the wounds of our national dignity by stating the painful reasons of Balkan defeat. 4- Fatih Kürsüsünde (1914 ): It is the volume of being studied the subjects of Ingenuity and Virtue. It is the only poem written about Islamic worlds issues in the form of sermon. 5- Hatıralar ( 1917 ): It contains examplary memories of his travels to Egypt and Hijaz in early 1913 and to Berlin and Necid in 1914. 6- Asım ( 1924 ): It is a book of the hope that connected to the youth who would save their homeland and unique Mehmetçik. The ideal young man named ‘’Asım’’ is the symbol of Mehmet Akif’s ideal of Ingenuity and Virtue. He addresses to Turkish youth. He glorified the Turkish soldiers who fought against the whole world in Dardanel Battle with his famaous poem ‘’ To the Dardanel Martyries‘’. This poem is in the Book of Asım. In this volume, Akif wants to send Asım, which he considered the symbol of youth, to Europe to obtain the "three hundred years of science we missed." 7- Gölgeler ( 1933 ):This seventh volume of Safahat was written in Egypt with his poems full of hope and faith which herald the salvation of Anatolia.

His Works Apart From Safahat :

TURKISH NATIONAL ANTHEM Mehmet Akif did not participate in the national anthem contest, organized to stop the occupation of Anatolia and to raise the spirituality of our army and nation due to being given pize money. Among 724 poems, there was almost no poem carrying national spirit and excitement. Only Mehmet Akif could write such a poem. As a matter of fact, upon the request of that time’s minister of national education, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıover, Mehmet Akif withdrew to Tacettin Lodge and wrote this important poem. Mehmet Akif wrote the Turkish National Anthem in February 1337 (12th February 1921). The Anthem was read by that time’s Minister of National Education, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıover in the Grand National Assembly on 1st March 1337 (1921) and was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the memebers. Grand National Assembly officially accepted this poem as our natianal anthem at its meeting on 12th March 1337. With the proposal of all members, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıover was got to read the poem several times and all members showed great respect to our anthem by listening standing still. Thus, the acceptance ceremony of the anthem was held on Saturday, March 12th, 1337 (1921) at 17.45. Owing to the fact that he dedicated this work to our heroic army and gave it to the nation as a gift, Mehmet Akif didn’t include the anthem in his Safahat.

HIS WORKS PUBLISHED AFTER HIS DEATH

Verses and proses from the Quran: Most of the prose of Mehmet Akif published in Sıratımustakim( Sebilürreşad ) Journal were gathered in this book by Omer Rıza Dogrul.

HIS QUOTATIONS Without riot’s entering into a nation, no enemy can enter it. Provided that the hearts beat altogether, any cannon can’t assimilate it. ‘’ Girmeden tefrika bir millete, düşman giremez. Toplu vurdukça yürekler onu top sindiremez. ‘’

The collapse of an unprotected country is inevitable; if you own this homeland, it will not be ruined. ‘’ Sahipsiz olan bir milletin batması haktır; sen sahip olursan bu vatan batmayacaktır. ‘’

There is only a simple difference between you and those who leave a trace : They try hard lifetime long , you are astonished at them lifelong. ‘’ İz bırakanlarla senin aranda basit bir fark var sadece: Onlar ömür boyu gayret ediyorlar, sen ömür boyu hayret ediyorsun .’’

They say that we are out of century; It’s true we opened new centuries, closed old centuries. Centuries are behind us. “Bize çağdışı diyorlar doğrudur; çağlar açtık, çağlar kapattık. Çağlar bizden geri.’’

If you say, let’s come and knock down Süleymaniye; you all need to have two pickaxes, two shovels and two labourers. Yet , if you say, let’s rebuilt it, we need a ‘’Sinan’’ and a ‘’Süleyman’’. ‘’ Hadi gel yıkalım şu Süleymaniye’yi desen, iki kazma kürek, iki de ırgat gerek. Ancak hadi gel şunu geri yapalım desen, bir Sinan bir de Süleyman gerek. ‘’

BIBLIOGARAPHY 1- Turkish Literature, 3. Volume (1990), Ahmet Kabaklı 2- Turkish Poetry from Yunus to upto now ( 1981), H. Fethi Gözler 3- Safahat , Mehmet Akif Ersoy 4- Mehmet Akif ( 1987) Ahmet Kabaklı 5- Mehmet Akif and our society ( 1987 ) Prof. Dr. Faruk Kadri TİMURTAŞ ( Ministery of Culture andTourism publications) 6- They are telling about Mehmet Akif ( 1922 )( Aydınlar Organization)