Writer (b. 1919, Antakya – d. 3 December 1995,
İstanbul), He graduated from Antakya High School but had to leave his education
at Istanbul University, Faculty of Law and Literature because of his political
activities (1943). He was arrested several times for the same reasons and he
was exiled too. He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Literature,
and Department of Philosophy. He worked as the Head of the Editorial Department
of Türkiye Birlik newspaper, which was published by Kemal Ilıcak in
1961. He felt a close affinity to the unions. He joined the Turkish Labor Party
and took active roles there. He worked as the secretary general at the
Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions, which was founded in 1967. He died
at Şişli Etfal Hospital due to an obstruction of the airways and a heart
attack. His grave is in Tuzla Graveyard.
Kemal Sürker’s first articles were published in Yenigün and Atatyolu in Antakya and Yıldız
newspaper in Beirut. He became the correspondent of Tan newspaper in Antakya, which was at the time governed by the
French. He published the newspapers İşçi Hakkı (1953) and Türkiye
Birlik (with K. Ilıcak, 1961). His articles under which he used the pen
names Asım Sarp and Okur were published in Gece
Postası were he worked and the magazines Tan, Ortam, Vatan, Cumhuriyet,Yazko-Edebiyat,Yazko and Somut of which he was the Head of the Editorial Department.
WORKS:
Türkiye’de Sendikacılık (Trade Unionism in Turkey, 1955), Dünya’da ve Türkiye’de İşçi Sınıfının Doğuşu (The Birth of the
Working Class in the World and in Turkey, 1969), Nazım Hikmet’in Polemikleri (The Polemics of Nazım Hikmet, 1968), Sabahattin Ali Dosyası (File of
Sabahattin Ali, 1968), Türkiye’de Grev
Hakkı ve Grevler (The Right of Strikes in Turkey, 1976), Şair Nazım Hikmet’in Gerçek Yaşamı (Real
Life of the Poet Nazım Hikmet, 2 volumes. 1976-77), Nazım Hikmet’in Sahte Dostları (The False Friends of Nazım Hikmet,
1978), Türkiye’yi Sarsan İki Uzun Gün
(Two Long Days That Shook Turkey, 1980), Nazım
Hikmet’in Bilinmeyen İki Şiir Defteri (Two Unknown Notebooks of Poems by
Nazım Hikmet, 1980), Anılara Yolculuk (A Journey Into Memories, 1983),Osmanlı’dan Günümüze İşçi ve Toplum (The
Worker and Society From the Ottomans To Today, 1985), SavaşYıllarında Bir Sürgün (A Banishment During War Times, Memoir,
1986).
