Hekimoğlu İsmail

Journalist, writer and novelist (b. 1932, Erzincan - d. 15 January 2022, Istanbul). His real name is Ömer Okçu. He is known by his pen name, Hekimoğlu İsmail, his grandfather’s name. After he accomplished his primary and secondary school education at home and graduated from Armored Units School (1952). In the same year, he began his duty as a noncommissioned officer of the Land Forces Tank Division. He studied to be a specialist in electronics in the United States (1957-60). Later on, he transferred to the Air Force as a noncommissioned missile officer. He retired in 1972.

He began his career as a writer in 1967 in the weekly newspaper İttihad. His famous novel, Minyeli Abdullah (Minyeli Abdullah), which was published and has been widely read in Turkey (67th edition, 2000), had been serialized in the newspaper İttihad before being published (1967). After being a columnist for 5 years on the newspaper Yeni Asya (1969-74), he published the review Sur in 1975.

After 1988, he worked as a columnist on the newspaper Zaman. In 1986, his novel Minyeli Abdullah (Minyeli Abdullah) was at first confiscated then later released. He had been under investigation 11 times from 1950 under Article 163 of the Turkish Criminal Code law, an article that has since been repealed. He was imprisoned for one year due to an article he wrote about the entry of İmam Hatip graduates to the Military Academy. He has leaned more towards the genre of essay rather than novel in recent years. He has spoken at hundreds conferences abroad. He received an honorary doctorate of literature from Harran University. His books Ölüm Yokluk mudur (Is Death to Disappear Completely?) and Neye Nasıl İnanırım (How and What Do I Believe in?) have been translated into German, English and Hungarian.

WORKS:

NOVEL: Minyeli Abdullah (Minyeli Abdullah, 1967), Maznun (Suspect, 1970, 14th edition, 1988), Sibel (Sibel, 2000), Bir Deliyle Evlendim (I Married a Lunatic, 2001), Firavun’un Öldüremediği Musa’dır (The One Who the Pharaoh Could Not Kill Was Moses, 2001).

ESSAY-RESEARCH: Düşünceler (Thoughts, 1971), Yapraklar (Leaves, 1971), Yokuş (Ascend, 1974), Tefekkür (Contemplation, 1975), Müslüman ve Para (The Muslim and Money, 1976), İlimler ve Yorumlar (Sciences and Interpretations, 1976), Osmanlıca Lugat (The Ottoman Language, 1978), Ölüm Yokluk mudur (Is Death to Disappear Completely?, 1984), Ben Bir Müslümanım (I am a Muslim, 1984), Derdimi Seviyorum (I Love My Miseries, 5 volumes, with A. Erkan Kavaklı, 1985), Bir Millet Uyanıyor (A Nation is Waking Up, 1989), Suriye Bu Hale Nasıl Düştü (How Did Syria Get to This Position?), Rusya'daki Müslümanlar Komünistlerin Esaretine Nasıl Düştü? (Did Muslims Fall Into the Trap of the Communists?) Sonsuza Yürüyüş (The Walk to Eternity, 1994), Mum (The Candle, 1996), İyiliğin Kaynağı (The Source of Goodness, 1999), Güneşi Arayan Adam (The Man Searching for the Sun, 1999), 100 Soruda Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (Bediüzzaman Said Nursi in 100 questions, 1999), İnsan Bu (This is Human, 1999), Hayata Düşülen Dipnotlar (Footnotes Taken on Life, 1999), Mehmet Akif'e Göre Dün Bugün Yarın (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow According to Mehmet Akif, 1999), Sevdalı Şiirler (Poems in Love, collection, 1999), Vecizeler (Epigrams, 2000), Hizmet ve Şahsiyet (Service and Personality, 2002), Akıl ve Gerçek (Mind and Reality, 2002), Mecnun Gezenin Leyla’sı (Leyla of the Wandering Mecnun, 2003), İyi Günde Kötü Günde Evlilik (Marriage on Bad Days and Good Days, 2003), Kalbin Ayağıyla Yürümek (Walking With The Pace of The Heart, 2003).

He has also written children’s books.

REFERENCE: hsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - 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) - Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Mehmet Nuri Yardım / Romancılar Konuşuyor (2000; Halka Romanı Sevdiren Yazar Hekimoğlu İsmail: Türkiye Şartlarında Yazar Olmak Kolay Değil, s. 125-134) - Edebiyatımızın Güleryüzü (2002) - Yazar Olacak Çocuklar (2004), Hekimoğlu İsmail vefat etti - Hekimoğlu İsmail adıyla tanınan, "Minyeli Abdullah" ve "Maznun" gibi kitapların yazarı Ömer Okçu vefat etti (yenisafak.com.tr,15 Ocak 2022), Yazar Hekimoğlu İsmail vefat etti (ntv.com.tr, gazeteduvar.com, AA - konhaber.com, takvim.com.tr, yeniakit.com.tr, 16.01.2022).