Poet and writer (b. 23
July 1908, Erzincan – d. 24 October 1969, İstanbul). He used the pen names
Ankaralı Aşık Ömer, Behçet Fuat and Erdoğan in some of his poems. He was from a
family from Kayseri, from the Büründüz tribe. He completed his primary and
secondary education in Bolu, Konya and Kayseri. After graduating from Halkalı
Agriculture School and Zonguldak High School of Mine Engineering (1929), he
went to France as an intern. After he returned home, he worked as a civil
servant at the Ministry of Economy, as an inspector at the People’s Houses
(1935-39). He was in the parliament as a deputy of Erzincan between 1941 and
1947. By accusing his party (Republican People’s Party) for giving concessions
from the Atatürk’s reforms, he resigned from his duty as a deputy and from his
party in 1948.
He
worked as a teacher of literature at Robert College and as a literary advisor
at the İstanbul Radio, where he produced a program with the title “Şiir
Dünyamız – Our World of Poetry” between 1950 and 1959. He was among the members
of the Founding Assembly appointed by the generals who seized the power with the
military coup on 27 May 1960. Later, he was appointed as the President of
executive board of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, as the
director of publications at Akbank, as a program expert at the Turkish Radio
and Television Corporation. He was benefited from a great auspice from Atatürk,
who liked his poem Görmeye Geldim (I Came to See). As the poet of 10.
Yıl Marşı (March of the 10th Year), Behçet Kemal wrote poems that praised
Atatürk in an exaggerated way. His poems were published in the reviews Şadırvan
(he published, 1949) and Hayat, Muhit, Varlık, Ülkü İnkilapçı, Gençlik,
Türk Dili (1928-68). The Behçet Kemal Çağlar Award, which was organized
after his death, was given fort he first and the last time to Ceyhun Atuf Kansu
in 1970.
WORKS:
POETRY: Erciyas'dan
Kopan Çığ (The Avalanche that Fell
off Erciyas, 1932), Burda Bir Kalp Çarpıyor (A Heart is Beating Here,
1933), Benden İçeri (Inside Me, 1966), Behçet Kemal Çağlar / Son
Şiirleri (Behçet Kemal Çağlar / Last Poems, 1970).
PLAY: Çoban
(Shepherd, 1932), Atilla (Atilla, 1935).
OTHER WORKS: Halkevleri
(The People’s Houses, study, 1935), Hasan Ali Yücel ve Eserleri
(Hasan Ali Yücel and His Works, 1937), Hür Mavilikte (In Free Blueness,
travel notes, 1947), Dolmabahçe'den Anıtkabir'e Kadar (From Dolmabahçe
to Mausoleum of Atatürk, 1955), Kur'an-ı Kerim'den İlhamlar
(Inspirations from the Holy Koran, 1966), Atatürk Denizinden Damlalar
(Drops from the Sea of Atatürk, 1967), Battal Gazi Destanı (The Epic of
Battal Gazi, 1968), Bugünün Diliyle Atatürk'ün Söylevleri (Speeches of
Atatürk in Modern Language, selected speeches, 1968), Malazgirt Zaferi'nden
İstanbul Fethine (From Victory of Malazgirt to the Conquest of İstanbul,
1971).
REFERENCE: Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (1960), Abdullah Satoğlu / Kayseri Şairleri - Başlangıçtan Bugüne Kadar (1962), Enver Naci Gökşen / Behçet Kemal Çağlar (1970), Mehmet Kaplan / Cumhuriyet Devri Türk Şiiri (1973, s. 399-403), Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1977), Türker Acaroğlu / Ozanlar ve Yazarlar (1981), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Agâh Özgüç / Türk Filmleri Sözlüğü I-II (1997-98), Adile Ayda / Bir Demet Edebiyat (1998), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (gen. 6. bas. 1999), Mehmet Behçet Yazar / Edebiyatçılar Alemi - Edebiyatımızın Unutulan Simaları (yay. haz. Mustafa Everdi, 1999) - Yazar Olacak Çocuklar (2004), A. Dinç / İstanbul Radyosu: Antlar - Yaşantılar (2000), TBE Ansiklopedisi I (2001), Mehmet Nuri Yardım / Edebiyatımızın Güleryüzü (2002), Birsen Pekçolak - Zeki Büyüktanır / Homeros’tan Günümüze Anadolu Destanları (2002), Halil Soyuer / Şair Dostlarım (2004), Mehmet Atilla Maraş / Şair Milletvekilleri 1: 22. Dönem 1920-2005 (2005).