Namık Kemal, the poet of freedom
ISTANBUL/TEKİRDAĞ-Anadolu Agency
Renowned Turkish poet and intellectual Namık Kemal was remembered Monday on the 131st anniversary of his death.
Namık Kemal, who was also an author, journalist, playwright and statesman, inspired Turkish nationalism. He is known as the poet of homeland and freedom and became one of the most important intellectuals of the period.
Namık Kemal was born in northwestern Turkey's Tekirdağ province on Dec. 21, 1840, the son of Mustafa Asım Bey and Fatma Zehra.
His childhood years were spent with his grandfather, Koniçeli Abdullatif Pasha, the governor of Tekirdağ.
He then moved to Istanbul with his family and began attending school.
He received a good education and learned Arabic, Persian and French.
Namık Kemal started to form his ideas in the 1860s.
He traveled with his grandfather throughout the Ottoman Empire as he got new posts and duties.
During the journeys, he continued his education and also rgot training in hunting, shooting, and javelin throwing.
His mentor Vaissade Seyyid Efendi in northeastern Turkey's Kars province encouraged him to write poetry.
He settled in Bulgaria in 1855 when his grandfather became governor of the Sofia province and married Nesime Hanim, the daughter of the judge of Nis, Serbia.
He then started working at a translation bureau in Istanbul and began meeting with intellectuals.
He began learning Western literature upon meeting with İbrahim Şinasi, one of the leading figures of the Westernization process in Turkish literature.
He embraced the Western style of poetry instead of the traditional style of Turkish poetry, which is known as Divan.
The idea of civilization and progress were the most important issues for him.
Namık Kemal embraced the understanding which supports that art is for people.
In 1865, he started to write opinion columns for Tasvir-i Efkar, a newspaper, and in 1872 started the newspaper İbret with Ebuzziya Tevfik Bey.
In 1873, he became interested in Turkish theatre. He staged Vatan Yahut Silistre, one of his most famous literary works, on April 1, 1873.
Due to the play, he was arrested along with many of his colleagues and exiled.
Despite this, he became one of the most important intellectuals, statesmen, and poets of the period.
After his exile, he returned to Istanbul and became a member of the Council of State and took part in the committee that prepared the Ottoman Constitution.
After that, he was appointed district governor of Lesbos in 1879, of Rhodes in 1884, and of Chios in 1887.
He passed away in Chios on Dec. 2, 1888 due to pneumonia.
Some of his famous novels are Intibah Yahut Serguzest-i Ali Bey (Awakening or Ali Bey's Experiences) and Cezmi, a historical novel.
Some of his well-known plays are Vatan Yahut Silistre, Akif Bey, Gülnihal, Kara Bela, Zavallı Cocuk and Celaleddin Harzemşah.
His iconic poetry includes Vaveyla, Murabba and Vatan Mersiyesi.
