The poet of the flag, Arif Nihat Asya, who is one of the most significant representatives of the Turkish literature leaving a lasting mark on the Turkish cultural life with his literary and intellectual legacy, was commemorated in a panel titled “A Commemoration of Arif Nihat Asya on the 50th Anniversary of His Passing” at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN).
Previous Rector of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University (FSMFU), and a member of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. M. Fatih Andı, the Head of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at FSMFU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dursun Ali Tökel, and a faculty member of FSMFU Department of Education of Turkish and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Şaban Sağlık served as speakers in the panel held at Doç. Dr. Ali Arslan Conference Hall on Farabi Campus. Vice Rector of BEUN, Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu, senate members, academic and administrative staff and students attended the panel which attracted wide participation.
The program began with a moment of silence in the honor of our martyrs and singing of the National Anthem. Giving the opening speech, Vice Rector of BEUN, Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu stated that commemorating the exceptional people who made a name for themselves in the Turkish literature has a significant role in keeping the cultural memory alive. He extended his gratitude to all the guests who attended the panel to commemorate and understand Arif Nihat Asya on the 50th anniversary of his passing.
The panel began with the presentation of the Head of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at FSMFU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dursun Ali Tökel. Prof. Dr. Tökel spoke on the life and literary identity of Arif Nihat Asya and stated that the poet was born in İnceğiz, Çatalca in 1904 and the difficulties he had to endure as a child and adolescence deeply affected his world of poetry. Mentioning Asya’s school life, family and the last years of his life, Prof. Dr. Tökel emphasized that the poet who died in Ankara Numune Hospital on 5 January 1975 left behind a strong literary legacy shaped by the homeland, nation and faith.
The second speaker of the panel, Prof. Dr. M. Fatih Andı emphasized the effect of Arif Nihat Aya on the Turkish literature and social memory. He also highlighted the significance of passing the distinguished works of the important names in the Turkish literature onto the younger generations. Noting the significance of knowing the prominent works of valuable poets, Prof. Dr. Andı reminded the fact that the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recited the verses “Biz kısık sesleriz… Minareleri sen ezansız bırakma Allah’ım” from Asya’s poem, “Dua” and thus he played a key role in popularizing the poem. Then he mentioned that recitation of the poem “Flag” by the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and various leaders was instrumental in making the poem known to everyone.
The last speaker of the panel, Prof. Dr. Şaban Sağlık emphasized the place of poetry among literary genres in his presentation titled “Poetry Version of Turkish and Arif Nihat Asya”. Highlighting that Asya was a multifaceted person with his roles as a teacher, poet, writer, Mevlevi, member of parliament, and columnist, Prof. Dr. Sağlık stated that Asya has a significant place in Turkish Literature with his titles “Poet of the Flag”, “Naat Poet” and “Poet of the Conquest March”. Prof. Dr. Sağlık also stated the fact that the writing process of the poem “Bayrak” in 1926 for the liberation of Adana reminds the atmosphere of the writing process of the National Anthem.
The panel ended with the presentation of the certificate of attendance to the speakers by Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu and a commemorative photo.
