The English translation of the anthem has a number of such illogical English phrases as “take shame” and “unhand not”. Ersoy also couldn’t differentiate between an exclamation mark and a semi-colon. Perhaps unsure whether his feverish lines had conveyed his ultra-nationalist bipolar message, Ersoy peppered his lyrics with eighteen exclamation marks. During a trip to Lebanon he contracted typhoid and died shortly after.Īlmost every line of the anthem is an invitation to disbelief and ridicule because of excesses in expression, absence of logic, or historical truth. Several years later Ersoy moved to Egypt. Poet, politician and academic Mehmet Ersoy (1873-1936) wrote İstiklal Marşı in 1921. One can only imagine the cruel imposition on millions of Turks who are expected to remember the rambling and interminable lyrics. The Turkish anthem also has the rare distinction of being the only national rah-rah whose title is made up two foreign words- İstiklal Marşı (‘independence’ and ‘ march’ in Arabic and French respectively.) As well, with forty-one lines, the Turkish anthem must be one of the longest. National anthems are, by definition, bombastic, over-the-top, full of braggadocio and glittering generalities. But even in such an unrestrained musical category, Turkey’s national anthem stands out as an exemplar of hyperbole, blood-and-guts vows, triumphalism, self-pity, and paranoia. A Increase font size.īy Jirair Tutunjian, Toronto, 29 March 2020
The anthem, consisting of 41 lines and 12 quatrains, centers around timeless themes such as independence, war, civilization, faith, spirituality, courage, heroism and hope.A Decrease font size. It is also the official anthem of the Republic of Turkey, founded two years later in 1923.
It was penned in order to encourage the fighting army and to motivate the struggling nation. The Turkish national anthem was written in 1921 by author Mehmet Akif Ersoy during the War of Independence as Turkey battled occupation by foreign forces after World War I. "As the president of Turkey, I believe that we must turn 2021 as the Year of the National Anthem into a historic opportunity," he said, while calling for the renewal of the "eternal and everlasting" fellowship through events to be organized on the occasion of this year. Essentially, these differences are our wealth as a nation." Wherever there is more than one person, differences of opinion are inevitable. (AA Photo)ĭescribing the national anthem as a "foundation" for the country's togetherness and fellowship, Erdoğan said: "It is quite natural that there is conflict, discussion and competition both in politics and in daily life. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at the memorial event at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center, Ankara, Turkey, March 11, 2021.
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