Poet and writer (b. 15 August 1936, Gaziantep – d. 11
January 1995, İstanbul). He graduated from Gaziantep High School (1954) but he
didn’t complete his education at İstanbul Universty, Faculty of Law because he
went to Paris. He attended the University of Paris, Department of Philosophy
for two years (1961-1963) but left there before finishing. After he had
returned from Paris, he became the secretary of Doğan Kardeş magazine (1963-1965) and then the Director of the
cinémathéque Association (1965-76). He was the owner and writer of Yeni Sinema
magazine on behalf of cinémathéque Association (1967-70) and the Director of
the Cinema Production and Projection Headquarters at the Ministry of Culture
from the day it was founded (1978-80). Then he worked for an advertisement
agency. He was a permanent member of the executive board of the İstanbul
Foundation of Culture and Arts Cinema Information Committee and he stayed as
the deputy chairman of the foundation until he died. He was seriously injured
by a bomb placed in The Marmara Hotel in İstanbul on 31 December 1994 but
didn’t survive his injuries and died on 11 January 1995.
He
entered the world of literature with his poem, Hisar (Castle), 1952-54) and then he wrote short stories. His first
short story Volan Kayışı (Flywheel
Belt, 1952) was published in Seçilmiş
Hikâyeler (Selected Stories). Then he decided to be a cinema critic and
essay writer. His poems were published in the magazines Hisar, Küçük Dergi and İlke (Gaziantep,
1952-54); his stories were published in Seçilmiş
Hikâyeler. For his first and only
storybook İshak (Isaac, 1959), he received the 1960 Turkish Language
Association Short Story Award. His articles on cinema and his essays were
published in the magazines Meydan, Yeni,
Yürüyüş, Milliyet Sanat and
Gösteri. His film Hakkari’de Bir Mevsim (A Season in Hakkari)
that was adapted from Ferit Edgü’s novel named O (He), received awards in Berlin and the 2nd Mediterranean Film
Festival. Turkuaz Belgeseli / 1989 (Turquoise Documentary, 1989) and Simurg
Belgeseli, 1993-94 (Simurg Documentary, 1993-94) under his direction, were
made into films by the foundations ‘Concept’ and the Independent Filmmakers Association. He produced
programs such as 7. Sanat Sinema (7th Art Cinema, 1975), Milletin
Radyosu (Radio of The Nation) and Gündemdeki Sanatçı (Artist on an
Agenda, 1994) which was shown only once by the Turkish Radio and Television
Corporation. He was advisor and producer on the Simurg Documentary and the film
Menekşe Koyu (Violet Bay). His poetry book Unutulmuş Kent (Forgotten City) was published again by İş Bank
Publications in 2003. Some of his poems and stories have been translated into
English, French and German. The story called İshak’taki Yunus (The Dolphin in Isaac) was published in English in
the United States in Grand Street
magazine. (Winter, 1995). His story İshak’tan
Çatı (The Roof from Isaac) was translated into French with the name of Le Toit and featured in the same
anthology as Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Sabahattin Ali, Memduh Şevket Esendal.
Sait Faik, Orhan Kemal and Adnan Özyalçıner (The East Extracts of Procedures of Contemporary Turks, 1980). Unutulmuş Kent (Forgotten City) was
translated into French with the name of La
Ville Ubliee 7 Traduit du Turc
(1995). He was conferred the decoration ‘Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres’ by the French Government and the Culture Medal by Poland.
WORKS:
SHORT STORY: İshak (Isaac, 1959).
POETRY: Pera’lı Bir Aşk İçin Divan (Divan* For a Love With Pera, 1981), Unutulmuş Kent (Forgotten City, 1986), Unutulmuş Kent ve Çeviri Şiirler
(Forgotten City And Translated Poems, 1999).
ESSAY: Yeter ki Kararmasın (Only Don’t Let it Become Dark, 1984), Sinema Bir Şenliktir (Cinema Is A
Celebration, articles on cinema, 1985), Bahar
İsyancıdır (Spring Is Rebellious, 1986), Gündemdeki Konu (Issue On Agenda, newspaper articles, 1995), Gündemdeki Sanatçı (Artist On Agenda,
newspaper articles, 1995).
SCREENPLAY:
Yusuf ile Kenan (Yusuf and Kenan,
1979, director Ömer Kavur), Hazal (Hazal,
1979, director A. Özgentürk), Hakkari’de
Bir Mevsim (A Season in Hakkari, 1982, director Erden Kral).
In addition, he translated
from Breton, Füruğ and Ferruhzad.