Influence of Western Literature on Turkish Literature

Modern Turkish literature, from about 1860 to today, is primarily concerned with intellectual content rather than aesthetic values or perfection of style. The latest period of modern Turkish literature, known as Turkish literature of the Republican period, was influenced by literary schools following the Divan poets. These include Tanzimat (reforms), SerVet-i Funun (scientific wealth), Fecr-i Ati (dawnof the new age) and Ulusal Edebiyat (national literature).

Leading figures in the first period, Tanzimat literature (1860-1880), include Sinasi, Ziya Pasa, Namik Kemal, and Ahmet Mithat Efendi. Leading figures during the second period, Servet-i Funun (1880-1896), include Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem, Abdulhak Hamit, Sami Pasazade Sezai, and Nabizade Nazim.

The most interesting Fecr-i Ati poet was Ahmet Hasim. Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu and Refik Halit Karay who initially joined the Fecr-i Ati at the beginning of their careers, attained their true literary identities later in the National Literature Movement.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Yahya Kemal Beyatli initially followed independent courses and later joined the National Literature movement. TheTanzimat, Servit-i Funun and Fecr-i Ati groups who came together to create a modern Turkish literature made great strides toward their goal, but fell short as their works lacked distinctive national characteristics. These works were French in spirit and Ottoman in language and style.

The years between 1911 and 1923 were most critical to the National Literature Movement. Leading literary figures of the period include Ziya Gokalp, Omer Seyfettin, Mehmet Emin Yurdaku, Yusef Ziya Ortac, Faruk Nafiz Camlibel, Enis Behic Koryurek, Kemalettin Kamu, AkaGunduz, Yakup Kadri Karasomanoglu, Halide Edip Adivar, Halit Karay, Resiat Nuri Guntekin, Ahmet Hikmet Mufuoglu, Necip Fazil Kisakurek, Halide Nusret Zorlutuna, Sukufe Nihal, Peyami Safa and Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar.

The first decade of the Republic bore the stamp of the National Literature movement, favoring simple clear language, poetic forms and syllabic meter of folk literature and inherently Turkish topics.

The first poets of the Republic used simple language and syllabic meter. Orhan Seyfi Orhon, Yusuf Ziya Ortac, Faruk Nafiz Camlibel and Kemalettin Kamu, advocates of the syllabic meter who won fameduring the Truce Years, all stressed themes from Anatolia and the lives of ordinary people in their poems.

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar wrote intensely profound poems full of hidden meaning, adapting Paul Valery's poetic notions to the Turkish language. Ahmet Kutsi Tecer was inspired in his work by folk sources, while Necip Fazil Kisakurek expressed the mystic tendencies of the Anatolian people in his poems and plays, using the Turkish language skillfully in an original and modern style reflecting his colorful character. Nazim Hikmet Ran, who went to Russia when he was young and returned with Marxist-materialistic convictions, wrote revolutionary poems using the aesthetic qualities of the Turkish language. These poems were the beginning of a socialist trend which became common in Turkish literature in the 1960s. By contrast, Ahmet Muhip Dranas' poems reflected aesthetic considerations only.

Omer Seyfettin, the founder and most successful representative of the short story tradition in Turkish literature became the most widely-read author in the country with publication of the 144th edition of his books. The writing of Sait Faik Abasiyanik and Sabahattin Ali started two widely different trends. Sait Faik Abasiyanik depicted happenings in Istanbul with intensely and subjective poetic feeling. In contrast, Sabahattin Ali specialized in objective description of simple events. With these two writers, daily life, opinions and expectations entered literary tradition, a trend that was to intensify in the 1960s.

Orhan Veli Kanik published his poems in a book entitled "Garip"in 1941. Kanik and two other poets who shared his style, Melih Cevdet Anday and Oktay Rifat, created a new poetic movement called"Garipciler" based on the elimination of such formal restrictions as meter, rhyme and analogy. They wanted poetry to become a simple expression of feelings. Orhan Veli's successful poems in free verse greatly influenced those who came after him. Cahit Sitki Taranci achieved the same simplicity through the use of meter and rhyme. Free verse spread rapidly. Asaf Halet Celebi, Fazil Husnu Daglarca and Behcet Necatigil successfully represented this style.

Turkish Language and Literature