Poet and writer
(b. 1927, Cyprus - d. 21 January 2001, Girne / Cyprus). He studied at the
English High School in Cyprus (1946), at the Modern Languages School,
Department of Journalism in London (1955) and at the School of Economic
Sciences, Department of Philosophy (1957). He worked in various jobs in London.
After he returned to Cyprus (1957), he published the journals Beşparmak and Uyarı and the newspaper Kıbrıs
Türk Sesi in Nicosia (1962-63),
he also wrote for the newspaper Bozkurt. Then
he settled in London and directed the weekly newspaper Vatan.
His poems and
essays were published in the journals Türk
Dili, Papirüs, Yeditepe, Varlık and Beşparmak beginning from 1945. He was
known for his translations from T. S. Eliot. He was known as "Uzay
Şairi"(Space Poet). He won many literature awards with his poems. His
books have been translated into many languages all over the world and with his
translations he won the most prestigious Honor Award given by the International
Poetry Society in 1973. Due to the success of his poems the Albert Einstein
International Foundation based in Missouri, United States, awarded him the 1989
Albert Einstein Peace Award while he was President of the International
Management Committee at the World Culture and Art Academy (1989). With his book
Evrende Rasgele Bir Gezinti (A Randomly Journey in the Universe), he won the Man of the Year Award and the
Thousand Year Hall of Fame Award. He also received the Golden Plaque Award from
the American Biography Institute, the Honor Signet of the Prime Ministry and
the Award of the Flying Golden Dove in Australia. The number of Awards that
Turkây received totaled more than 50 in his later years. He was nominated as a
candidate for the Nobel Literature Award twice. Türkay was the Turkish author
who received the most letters in the world. The Thai Princess Vemulchadra,
Professor of Turkology Anna Masala, the wife of the former president of India
Sheila Gürjal and many aristocrats were among his fans.
WORKS:
ESERLERİ:
7 Telli (7 Stringed, 1959), Uyurgezer (Sleepwalker, 1969), Beethoven'de
Aydınlığa Uyanmak (To Awaken the Light in
Beethoven, 1970; English version: Beethoven and Other Poems, 1978), Evrenin Düşünde Gezgin (Traveler in
the Dream of the Universe, 1971), Kıyamet
Günü Gözlemleri
(Doomsday Observations, 1975).