Architect, journalist, poet,
politician. (B. 1910, Ula/Muğla – D. October 2008, Muğla). His full name is Nail Vahdeti Çakırhan and he used
the pen name Nail V. for his poetry. He graduated from Konya High School (1929)
and studied in Istanbul University Medicine, Law and Literature and in Moscow
Eastern Folks University. He married Prof. Dr. Halet Çambel, the daughter of
Hasan Rıza Çambel who was one of the close companions of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
During his high school years he
started to write poetry and at the age of seventeen he published the Kervan magazine
in Konya. He was taken into custody because of a poem he wrote during his last
year in high school but was released upon Atatürk’s order by phone. Nazım
Hikmet who appreciated his poem published it in Hareket magazine which
was being published by Istanbul University, Faculty of Law students. They met
on this occasion. Çakırhan started to work in Resimli Ay magazine
upon the suggestion of Nazım Hikmet which was being published by him. In the
same time he worked as an editor in Cumhuriyet newspaper and continued to write
poetry. His poems were published in magazines such as Halka Doğru, Resimli
Hafta, Ses, Görüşler and Gerçek. He published a
shared poetry book with Nazım Hikmet in 1930 titled 1+1=Bir. They lived
in Nazım’s father’s house for a while together and were arrested because of
establishing a communist organization (1932). Upon the amnesty granted in the
10th year of the establishment of republic he went to Soviet Union.
He studied socialist economy for two and half years in Moscow Eastern Folks
University. On his return he worked as a journalist and accountant. He was put
onto trial with founders of Turkish Socialist Laborer Peasant Party in 1946 and
was condemned
to 4 years according to 141st article of Penal Law. He was released
with the amnesty of 1950.
Çakırhan digged archeological excavations
with his wife in Osmaniye Toprakkale. He built in 1963 in Ankara the Turkish
Historical Association’s building whose project belonged to Turgut Cansever. He
undertook the building of German High School which belonged to German Embassy.
He built an excavation house in Ergani where Halet Çambel started excavations
in collaboration with Chicago University. In the beginning of 1980 he
returned to Muğla. In spite of the fact he did not receive any architectural education
he was known with his restoration and architecture works on Muğla and Ula
architecture. He received architecture awards with his buildings which revived
traditional Anatolian architecture. He was granted in 1983 International Aga
Khan Architecture Award with his work in Muğla-Konakaltı. Using the money he
received with this award he restored an old khan in Muğla as a cultural house.
He carried the architectural values of the past to the present with his works
in Gökova, Dalyan, Bodrum, Muğla, Datça and Fethiye. He is a founder member of
Nazım Hikmet Culture and Arts Foundation Council Board and History
Foundation.
WORKS:
POETRY: 1+1=Bir (with Nazım Hikmet, 1930), Daha Çok
Onlar Yaşamalıydı (All Poems, 1996).
ESSAYS: Harbin Eşiğindeki Türkiye (Tan Gazetesi Yazıları,
2003).
MEMORIES-LETTERS: Üç Hapishaneden Mektuplar Canım Halet'çiğim (2008),
Memories: Nail Çakırhan, (ed. Erden Akbulut, 2008).
OTHER: Yapı Sanatında Yarım Yüz Yıl (2006).
