Journalist and writer (b. 19 December 1926, Aksaray - d. 9 August 2015, Antalya). He also used Ali Bircan, Elvan Can, F.O., Fikret Mayto as pen names. After attending elementary school in Aksaray, he graduated from Istanbul State Fine Arts Academy, Department of High Painting (1953). He retired after he carried on his career as a journalist, which he began in Son Saat (1950) during his years as a student, in the newspapers Dünya, Akın, Ulus, Kudret and Cumhuriyet. After his retirement, he lived in his farm in Gazipaşa and later in Antalya. He was recognized with his interviews published in the newspapers that he worked for, especially in Cumhuriyet.
In the recent years, he wrote mostly in
the genre of children's literature. He won the Turkish Language Association
Essay-Research-Travel Literature Award in 1962 with his third book with the
title Gide Gide (Going and Going), and was elected as the journalist of the
year for several times and received the Golden Pen Award of Ankara Journalists
Society with his other interviews.
WORKS:
INTERVIEW: Ha Bu Diyar (This Country, 1959), Doğudan Gezi Notları (Travel Notes from
the East, 1960), Harran, Hoyrat, Mayın ve
Irıp (Harran, Hoyrat, Mines and Irıp,1961), Uy Babo (Oh Daddy, 1962), Topraksızlar
(The Ones Without Lands, 1963), Hû Dost (Greetings Friend, 1964), Bir Karış Toprak İçin (For A Piece of
Land, 1965), Oy Fırat Asi Fırat (Oh
Euphrates, Rebel Euphrates, 1966), Korku
ve Kaymakam Babo (Fear and the Governor Babo, 1968), Can Pazarı (A Matter of Life and Death), Vay Kurban, Hayvanlar ve İnsanlar (Hello Dear, Animals and Men,
1969), Ne Biçim Amerika, Ne Biçim Rusya
(How is America, How is Russia, 1970), Karasevdam
Anadolum (My Great Love, My Anatolia, 1976), Mayınlı Topraklar Üzerinde (On the Mined Lands, 1977), Adı Yemendir (Its Name is Yemen, 1981), Şu Bizim Gazipaşa ve İsmet Paşalı Yıllar
(Our Years with Gazipaşa and İsmet Paşa, memoir-interview, 1984), Harran Koçaklaması (Song of Harran,
1987), Kırk Yıl Önce, Kırk Yıl Sonra
(Forty Years Ago, Forty Years Later, 1994).
LETTER: Arkadaşım Orhan Kemal ve Mektupları (My Friend Orhan Kemal and His
Letters, 1975), Pavli Kardeş (Brother
Pavli, 1985).
PLAY: Mayın (The Mine, staged in
Ankara, 1968).
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Can Arkadaş (A True Friend, 1978), Ceylanlar Suya İndi (The Gazelles Have
Gone to the River, 1980), Mayınlar Çiçek
Açmaz (Mines Do Not Bloom, 1983).
REFERENCE: Yurt Ansiklopedisi (c. VIII, 1982-83), Alpay Kabacalı / Kültürümüzden İnsan Adaları (1995), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (gen. 6. bas. 1999), İhsan Işık / 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) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), TBE Ansiklopedisi (c. 2, 2001), Karasevdam Anadolum (Kitap Rehberi, Aralık 2001), Mehmet Faraç / Gide Gide’lere Devam (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 7.3.2002).
