Poet and writer (b. 1
September 1936, Mersin). He attended Kayatepe Primary School (Mersin, 1948) and
graduated from Mersin High School (1955) and the Gazi Institute of Education,
Department of French Language and Literature (1960). After completing his
studies at Ankara University Faculty of Law, he went to Paris and stayed there
for some time (1966). He worked as a teacher at elementary schools in Sandıklı,
Çine, Aydın and Muğla. After this, he passed an exam held by the French
government and studied at the Institute of Phonetic Teachers at the University
of Paris (Sorbonne) from 1965 to 1966. On returning to Turkey, he worked as a
teacher of French at high schools in Aydın and Muğla. After some time he left
teaching and worked at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation in
different positions. He was first employed as a translator in the radio and
foreign publications department (1969), he was a writer of television scripts,
Departmental Director of television editing, adviser to the General Directorate
and educational advisor (1970-82). He retired from the corporation in 1982 and
went to Paris to live on a scholarship from the French government in 1983 and
1986 respectively. In 1989, he moved from Ankara to İstanbul. He worked as an
editor in Can Publications from 1990 to 1996 and at Telos Publications after
1996. He has been working as a columnist for the newspaper Hürriyet since
2002.
Beginning in 1954, he
started to become well-known for his articles, poems and translations in
reviews and newspapers such as Kaynak, Türk Sanatı, Pazar Postası, Türk
Dili, Dost, Şiir Sanatı, Papirüs, Soyut, Türkiye Yazıları, Milliyet-Sanat, Adam
Sanat, Salkım, Yeni Ufuklar, Dünya and Güneş. He collected the May
Literature Award in 1968 with his book Kiraz Zamanı (Cherry Time), and
the Turkish Language Association Translation Award in 1979 with his translation
of Taşlar, Yenilemeler, Parmaklıklar (Repetitions, Testimonies,
Parentheses) by the Greek poet Yannis Ritsos. His books have been translated
into French, Bulgarian and Greek. He was elected the correspondent member to
the Académie Mallarmé (Paris, 1983), he was a member of the
Liege International Poetry Grand Award Selection Committee (1983, Belgium) and
selected as correspondent to the International Centre for Research on Poetry
(1987, Belgium). He received the Officier Medal for arts from the French
government (1990).
WORKS:
POETRY: Kargı
(Lance, 1963), Tutanaklar (Records, 1967), Kiraz Zamanı (Cherry
Time, 1969), Karşı Yazgı (Anti-Destiny, 1974), Rüzgâra
Yazılıdır (Written on the Wind, 1979), Elmanın
Tarihi (History of the Apple, 1981), Kentler (Cities, 1981), Yedi
Deryalar Geçsen (If Ever You Cross the Seven Seas,
1983), Siyasetnâme (Book of Politics, 1984), Eski Şiirler (Old
Poems, 1985), Hayat Bilgisi (Knowledge of Life, 1986), Zorba ve Ozan
(The Tyrant and the Poet, 1987), Başak İle Terazi
(Virgo and Libra, 1989), Canyelekleri Tavandadır (Life Jackets are in
the Roof, 1989), Burçlar Kuşağı (Zodiac Circle,
1989), Güneş Saati (Sun Clock, 1990), Gürlevik (Gürlevik, 1990), Gündönümü
(Day’s Turn, 1992), Yazın Sesi (Sound of the Summer, 1994), Yağmur
Taşı (Rain Stone, 1994), Toplu Şiirler: I. Tekvin (Collected Poems:
I. Genesis, 1994), Toplu Şiirler II. Delta (Collected Poems II, Delta,
interviews in Cumhuriyet newspaper
1994), Toplu Şiirler III. Tohum Ölürse (Collected Poems III, If the Seed
Dies, 1994), Toplu Şiirler IV. Yağmur Taşı (Collected Poems IV, Rain
Stone, 1995), Uykusuzluk (Insomnia, 1995), ManiHayy (ManiHayy, 1998), Evren Ağacı (Tree
of Universe, 2000), Ot Hızı (Grass Speed, 2002), Bütün Şiirlerim II (All
My Poems II, 2002), Bütün Şiirlerim III (All My Poems III, 2003),
ESSAY-RESEARCH: Şiir ve Gerçeklik (Poetry and Reality,
1986), Söz ve Yazı (Speech and Writing, 1991), Tabula Rasa
(Tabula Rasa, 1992), Dinozorca (Dinosaurly, 1993), Yazınsal Söylem
Üzerine (On Literary Discourse, 1993), Tarih Bağışlamaz (History
Will Not Forgive, 1994), Çile Törenleri (Ceremonies of Suffering, 1995),
Bu Ne Biçim Memleket (What Kind of a Country is This, 1996), Yaşasın
Cumhuriyet (Long Live the Republic, 1999), Şiirde Devrim (Revolution
in Poetry, 2000), Mevsimsiz Yazılar (Writing Without Seasons, 2002), Gördüğünü
Kitaba Yaz (Note What You See In the Book, 2002), Ot Hızı (Grass
Speed, 2002), Pazar Yazıları (Sunday Articles, 2002), Tersi Yüzü (Opposite
Face 2003), Yedi Canlı Cumhuriyet, Isırganın Faydaları (Cast Iron
Republic, Benefits of Stinging Nettles, 2003), Yazmasam Olmazdı (I could
not Avoid Writing, 2004), 100 Para Yazısı (100 Writing on Money, 2004).
INTERVIEW: Ne Altın
Ne Gümüş (Neither Gold nor Silver, 1997).
Besides these, he has
translated many poems.
