Necmettin Turinay

Essay writer, critic and literature researcher (b. 7 Februrary 1946, Sorkun village / Sandıklı / Afyon). He has used the pen names Ahmet Rıdvan, Vedid Eymen, Mehmet Toprak, Ahmet Selim and Necmettin Sandıklı. He attended primary school in his village. After graduating from Afyonkarahisar High School (1964), he studied at İstanbul University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Turkish Language and Literature (1968) and Çapa School of Teacher Training. His graduation thesis was “Aşık Paşa' nın 'Garibnâme'si Üzerine” (On “Garibname” (Book of Stranges) by Aşık Paşa). He completed his master’s and philosophy doctorate at Erzurum Atatürk University Faculty of Science and Literature (1977). His master’s thesis was “İkinci meşrutiyet Dönemi Dergiciliği ve 'Resimli Kitap” (Review Publishing during the Second Constitutional Monarchy Period and “Resimli Kitap”) and dissertation thesis “Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar ve Romancılığı” (Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar and His Novel Writing).

Following his higher education, he served as a teacher at İstanbul Ortaköy Primary Teacher Training School and Maçka School of Technicians and served as teacher and administrator at many other schools (1974-76). He worked as reporter, broadcast planning specialist (1980-84) and literary member of the Turkish Folk Music Repertoire Board (1984-90) at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, where he had started working in 1977. He also worked as a member of the editorial board at the Ministry of Culture for a period of time. Among the founders of the Writers Union of Turkey, Turinay was chairman and general secretary of this union for many years and was Head of the Ankara Institute for Family Research and the Ankara Branch of Culture Foundation.

During the prime ministry of Turgut Özal, he was made responsible for the founding the Institute of Family Research affiliated to the Office of the Prime Ministry (1990), later he was appointed as the general director of the institute for three years. During his service at the institute, he instigated many projects including the 1^st Family Council of Turkey and the production of many visual scientific publications. The Institute received the Writers Union of Turkey Public Publications Award in 1991 as a result of his leadership. In 1992, he was transferred from the position of chairman of the institute to consultant at the Office of the Prime Ministry. He retired from this position in 2000. He has also worked as a consultant at İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

His first article was published in the review Pınar (1968). Later, his essays, criticisms, research and articles were published in the reviews Yeniden Millî Mücadele (as member of editorial board, 1969-71), Hisar (1974-79), Türk Edebiyatı (1973), Hisar (1974-80), Muştu (1977), Mavera (1980-82), Töre (1979-82), Sözcü (as director of art-literature), Millî Kültür (1980-86), Mili Eğitim ve Kültür (1981-83), Doğuş Edebiyat (1983), Radyo-Televizyon (1987), Suffe Edebiyat, Yazarlar Birliği yıllıkları, Kadın ve Aile (1990-93), Panel (1989-1994), Yeni Dergi (1994), Edebiyat Ortamı (1997), Umran (2000), Özgür ve Bilge (2002), Hece (2002) as well as the journals Ortadoğu (1975-76), Hergün (1977), Zaman (1986), Belde (Ankara, 1988), Yeni Asya (1993-94) and Yeni Şafak (1996-2000). He received the Writers Union of Turkey Essay/Research Award with his book Geleneğin Dünyası / Yeniliğin Ufukları (World of Tradition/ Horizons of Innovation, 1983).

WORKS:

Müşâhedat (Revelation, simplified from Ahmet Mithat Efendi, editing, 1979), Geleneğin Dünyası / Yeniliğin Ufukları (World of Tradition/ Horizons of Innovation, essay-critique, 1983), Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar (Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar, doctorate thesis, 1988), Hüsn-ü Aşk: Klasik Hikâyenin Son Merhalesi (Beautiful Love: The Last Phase of the Classical Story, separate publishing of Şeyh Galip Kitabı -Book of Şeyh Galip, 1995), Klasik Romana ve Leyla vü Mecnûn'a Dair (On the Classical Novel and Leila and Mejnun, separate publishing of Fuzûli Kitabı -Book of Fuzuli, 1996), Kültür, Dil ve Sanata Dair (On Culture, Language and Art, 1997), Değişen Toplum ve Aile (Changing Society and Family, 1996).