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Turkey National Anthem

İstiklâl Marşı

Istiklal Marsi

Independence March

1921
1921
Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Osman Zeki Üngör
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Key Facts

  • 1. The poem has ten stanzas, but only the first two are performed at official occasions.
  • 2. The melody in use today was composed by Osman Zeki Üngör and made official in 1930; it replaced an earlier setting by Ali Rıfat Çağatay, chosen by a selection committee after the War of Independence.
  • 3. Publicly denigrating the anthem is a crime under Article 300 of the Turkish Penal Code, punishable by six months to two years in prison.
  • 4. A 1920 competition for the words drew 724 poems, but none was judged worthy; Ersoy had not entered because he would not accept the 500-lira prize. He wrote the anthem after the Education Minister, Hamdullah Suphi, sought a poem from him, and gave the prize money to Dârülmesâi, a charity that taught trades to poor Muslim women and children.
Turkey - İstiklâl Marşı

Turkey National Anthem Lyrics

Only the first two of the poem's ten stanzas are sung officially; all ten were accepted as the national anthem by the Grand National Assembly on 12 March 1921.
Korkma! Sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak, Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak. O benim milletimin yıldızıdır, parlayacak; O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak. Çatma, kurban olayım, çehreni ey nazlı hilal! Kahraman ırkıma bir gül; ne bu şiddet, bu celal? Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helal… Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklal.

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Analysis

Editorial

Written during the Turkish War of Independence in 1921, the anthem was adopted before the Republic was even proclaimed. Poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy wrote it to boost morale during the darkest days of the independence struggle against occupying forces.

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Sources & References

  1. İstiklal Marşı . Türk Dil Kurumu (TDK)

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