“8th International Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Turkish Poetry Feast” held in Skopje

Balkans
Sat, 3 Dec 2022 9:21 GMT
Traditionally performed in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, the “8th International Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Turkish Poetry Festival” was held.
“8th International Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Turkish Poetry Feast” held in Skopje

Traditionally performed in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, the “8th International Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Turkish Poetry Festival” was held. Western Thrace Turks were also represented at the event.

The program organized by the Macedonian Turkish Civil Society Organizations Union (MATUSITEB) with the support of the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia (MATUSITEB) in a hotel in the capital city of Skopje, MATUSITEB Chairman Tahsin İbrahim, former President of the Constitutional Court Salih Murat, President of the Köprü (Bridge) Association Hüsrev Emin, Turkish National Unity Movement (TMBH) President Erdoğan Saraç, representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations, as well as poets and literature lovers from North Macedonia, Turkey, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Western Thrace region attended.
In his speech at the program, MATÜSİTEB Chairman Tahsin İbrahim said that they are happy to organize the 8th International Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Poetry Festival, which was organized under the auspices of MATUSITEB, but under the leadership of Köprü Association, this evening with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

İbrahim said, “Actually, this poetry feast has been organized for years as a result of a literature workshop and a literature school of our very valuable association, Köprü Association, which is only a member association under the auspices of MATUSITEB. In this literature school, with our writers who came out of this poetry workshop, they tried to keep Turkish and Turkish language alive as a literary language, as an academic language, in our country.” 

“We will all be commemorating Yahya Kemal Beyatlı on his birthday”

Mehmet Arif, Deputy Chairman of MATÜSİTEB, also stated that they came together to commemorate the Skopje-born poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı and to contemplate his poetry and his ideas.

Reminding that December 2 is a very important date because it is the anniversary of the great poet, Arif said, “This year we are organizing this organization in the organization of MATUSITEB and also with the support of the Ministry of Culture. This year we are organizing the 8th. This year, unfortunately, due to limited opportunities, we actually wanted to invite more poets from the Turkish world, but we invited our compatriots and Turkish poets from the closest regions with the opportunities we had.” he said.

Arif said, "Here, together with the people of Skopje and the poets from the Balkans, we will commemorate the great poet of Balkan Turkish Poetry, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, on his birthday." 

“I am very proud and happy to be in such an environment”

The poet Müberra Karadayı, who came from Xanthi in Western Thrace, also said that she participated in the aforementioned poetry feast for the first time.

Müberra Karadayı, who is the writer of BAĞLAR Literature and Poetry magazine published by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities of Turkey, underlined that it was a great honor for them to be gathered under the same language, the same literature, the same poetry banner, on the occasion of commemorating the great poet, and said: I am very proud and happy to be in such an environment. As sister communities living in the Balkan geography, we believe that the bridges of heart we have built between us will be strengthened with such events.” 

Karadayı said, “Our aim is to make our voices louder and to exist in this land for centuries, without interrupting our own selves, our own essence, values, identities, customs and traditions in this geography we live in. We pray this from our supreme Lord. I believe that the event will be successful and enjoyable.” made its assessment.

“I am happy to be a part of the international event organized on behalf of Yahya Kemal”

The poet Aziz Nazım Şakir, who came from Bulgaria, also stated that he was honored to be in Skopje.

Expressing that he was happy to have and be a part of the international event organized in the name of Yahya Kemal, Şakir said, “I've heard this name since my childhood, from my grandfather, but I always thought he was someone from Turkey. I thought he was born there, I learned much later that he was originally from Skopje. I came here from Sofia to attend this event organized on his behalf. I agree for the second time, I've been to the 6th before that. I hope it continues like this without interruption.” he said.

“As Balkan Turkish poets, we are very happy to be here tonight”

Kosovo poet Taner Güçlütürk also stated that they will try to commemorate Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, the beautiful son of Skopje, with their poems, his beautiful words and beautiful memories as poets from Rumeli and his great master from the Balkans.

Güçlütürk said, “We will not only read our own poems but also share the master's beautiful lines with the audience tonight. As a son of Rumelia, it is our duty to commemorate Yahya Kemal and our great masters such as Mehmet Akif Ersoy and to pay the debt of loyalty. Therefore, the fact that we are remembered first and that this event reaches its 8th year suits this loyalty and the cherished memory of the master. We, as Balkan Turkish poets, are very happy to be here tonight.”

Yahya Kemal Beyatlı is a great value for us”

North Macedonian poet İlker Yusuf said that Yahya Kemal Beyatlı is the common value of Macedonia and Turkey.

Yusuf said, “We are together again tonight for the 8th of the poetry feast organized in memory of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, one of the common values of our Macedonia and Turkey. It makes us happy that Turkish writers of letters come together in this feast organized by MATUSITEB. We took our place at the feast tonight together with our friends representing Macedonia. As you know, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı is of great value to us and it makes us all happy to be here in such an evening in his memory.” 

In the program, Dean of the Faculty of Education of the International Balkan University, Dr. Seyhan Murtezan İbrahim gave a speech on "A nationalist is fascinated by the history of his nation".

In the program, Macedonian artist Ebrar Mazhar enchanted the audience with the songs he sang accompanied by the guitar.

Tefeyyüz Elementary School students read the poems of Şükrü Ramo and Avni Engüllü, one of the leading poets of North Macedonia.

At the end of the program, thank you letters were presented to the participating poets, academicians, and musicians.

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