Journalist and writer (b. 15 May 1917, Akseki
/ Antalya - d. 10 September 1983, İstanbul). His real name is Osman Zeki
Yüksel. He was renowned by this surname because of his articles published in
the review Serdengeçti. He was a member of a family grew famous scholars
including Ahmet Hamdi Akseki, old mufti Hacı Salih Efendi. He attended primary
school in Akseki, secondary school in Antalya as a boarding student. After
graduating from Atatürk High School in Ankara, he left Ankara University,
Faculty of Language, History and Geography, from second class because of taking
part in the events of May 1944. He was imprisoned for a while with Nihal Atsız
and Alpaslan Türkeş. After being relased, he wanted to continue his education,
but he was not given permission. Thereupon, he wrote a petition beginning with
“To the Low Deputy of High Office” to the Minister of National Education Hasan
Ali Yücel. Nobody dared to give the petition to the Minister. Osman Yüksel was
sent to the prison again.
After releasing, he began to publish
the famous review Serdengeçti. He was sent to court many times and arrested
and released often because of his articles published in this review of which
most of the issues was confiscated. He declared that he was ready for new
imprisonments with his words “Open the doors, Osman is Coming” that he used in
his articles in the review in which it was written the sentence “On the Way of
God, Motherland and Nation”. This review that gains him the nickname
Serdengeçti, could be published only 33 issues (1947 - February 1962)
because of closing frequently and having conviction decision about its
articles.
Serdengeçti
published a humor review named Bağrıyanık in 1952. He continued his struggle with
humor and satires in this review in which it was written the sencentce “Those
Having Heart stick on the Way of God”. He engaged politics for some time. He
worked as Antalya deputy being chosen from the list of the Justice Party
(1965-1969). He also gained fame as “Deputy without Tie” by going to the Grand
National Assembly without wearing a tie, because of protesting the
westernization. He was sent from the Justice Party because of his assessments
about the policy and directors of the party. Later, he continued his struggle
with his articles and books. At last, he wrote daily anecdotes under the title
of Selam (Greetings) in the newspaper Yeni İstanbul. Osman Yüksel, who was among the intellectuals
protesting the pressure of one-party government on the religious people, “used
his pen as a sword on the way of God, because of that, he was renowned as a
legendary hero in Anatolia” (Mehmet Ateşoğlu)
WORKS:
Mabetsiz
Şehir (City without a Temple), Bir Nesli Nasıl Mahvettiler (How They
Wasted a Generation), Bu Millet Neden Ağlar (Why Does
this Nation Cry), Gülünç Hakikatlar (Funny Realities), Ayasofya Davası (Case of the
Hagia Sophia), Türklüğün Perişan Hali (Wretched
Situation of Turks), Mevlânâ ve Mehmet Akif (Mevlana and
Mehmet Akif), Kara Kitap (Black Book), Radyo Konuşmaları (Radio
Conversations), Müslüman Çocuğunun Şiir Kitabı (Poetry Book of a Muslim Child,
anthology), Kanlı Balkanlar (Bloody
Balkans, edited by Zakir Avşar, 1992).
His works were republished by the Foundation of Turkish Literature: Mabetsiz Şehir (City without a Temple), Gülünç Hakikatlar (Funny Realities), Bir Nesli Nasıl Mahvettiler (How They Wasted a Generation), Bu Millet Neden Ağlar (Why Does this Nation Cry) Akdeniz Hilalindir (Akdeniz Belongs to the Crescent).
