Our Turkish Language

Last week at the Tarihçi Bookstore, Turkish language expert the esteemed Yusuf Çotuksöken gave a talk titled Turkish in the Spiral of Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow at the event. I listened to an instructive, thought-provoking, and consequently, a delightful speech. The main theme of my article is this speech.

First, let me go back a few weeks. At the beginning of the month,a memorial meeting was held at Bizimtepe in memory of our dear Taha Parla,whom we lost. Led byformer BoğaziçiUniversity rector Prof. Üstün Ergüder, including his formerstudents and colleagues, amany people said things about my dear friend that were both emotional and realistic, adorned with memories. I agreed withall of them. We had lost a valuable professor,a very crea tive scientist. However, I must be honest with myself; there was something that bothered me.However, I must be honest with myself; there was something that bothered me. Especially hisstudents unanimously emphasized that Professor Taha taughtall his courses in Turkish, not English,contrary to the general policyof his university.What pleased me about this was that the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicinefaculty English Bwhen death is mentioned,just like my friend Taha, Iwas insistent on teaching in Turkish, aslong as there were noforeign students among mystudents. At the memorial meeting, they What was upsettingwas that during thespeeches, thetext projected onto a screen right next to the speakers was the English text titled In Memory of Prof. Taha Parla. Especially when some of the late professor's colleaguesincluded necessary or unnecessary English terms in their speeches,word combinationswere, in a way, off-putting.

Please, my dear academic colleagues, understand. Filling what you say, especially without providing a reason for why you do so,with foreign wordsis often not a sign of your deep knowledge, but of your lack of knowledge, and evenmore so, an effort to pull the wool over people's eyes. an effort to deceive.can be interpreted as an indicator oftheir religious zealotsmaking a scene and causing a stiris similar.

The second thing I will share is a mmusic festival. A few evenings ago, I watched a concert by the Aşiyan Music Association at the Üsküdar Municipality Bağlarbaşı Congress and Culture Center. I am learning, sThe association in question was established in 2003and is doingvery fine workregarding classical Turkishmusic.

Lasteveningthe title of the concert “From the Past to the Pre sent – A Tribute to Masters from Arşak Çömlekçiyan to Hüsnü ÜstünConcert” was presented as such, and for two hourswe listened to beautiful songs performed both in groups and as solos. The second half was dedicated solely to the works of the esteemed composer Hüsnü Üstün, and the maestro himself was among the audience.The maestro himself was among the audience.

What I want to emphasize here is the beautyas much as it was mine, it was also thejoy and enthusiasm of all the listeners throughout theconcert. I watched specifically. Both during the concert intermission and at the concert exit, not a single flawfrowning brows, sour faces Idid not see. Beyond that, I did not even seem to seethem. The music we watched,the ceremonies,the drones flying over our heads,the pensions, the drug and betting scams, Silivri, the countless trustees, the earthquake victims, in short, and NamAs Namık Kemal put it, he made us forget, even for a moment, everykind oftorment of fate,even if just for a moment.He did.

I must share a memory here that I cannot forget. It was 1995. The rector of the time,Mr.B. Berkarda, in Istanbul I proposed that the university establish an Atatürk Award,and the proposal was accepted by the senate unanimously,and the honorable task of draftingthe award regulationswas entrusted to me. In short, wehad gathered in the Faculty of Science meeting hall for the first award ceremonyfor ouresteemed and late philosopher, Prof. Bedia Akarsu.We were sitting in the hall together with Professor Bedia. A famous writer from a famous newspaperwas also sitting next to us. TAt the performance, theworks loved by Atatürk had reached thesection and the first workhad arrived and the first piecehad been reached and the first work wasbeginning to be played when thementionedthe journalist jumped up from his seat and in aloud voice said, "He never liked this Byzantine music"at all,and left the hall. Professor Bedia looked at me and smiled.It was as if she were saying, 'Don't mind him.'

The journalist at Professor Bedia'sceremonywhat he did tobeing upset, my professor Tahain theunnecessary use of English and the reasons I explained aboveif youcompare it to the reaction I opened I would be saddened and misI think you mightbesurprised.Yes, classical Turkish musichas a dominant Byzantine influence, but that influence is the people of this country'sas much as possible original and immortal music was merely a medium for creating masterpieces, and this music has also brought joy to the people of my countryforcenturies, and continues to do so.

Now, regarding the mention of Mr. Çotuksöken at the beginning of my article, who reminded me of all thesethings andthought-provoking Turkish in the Spiral of Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow let me returnto his speech titledand state immediately. There is avery closeconnectionbetween a country's language and its music,IthinkI think. In this context, just as our musichas remained under Byzantine influence, our language has also remained under Arabic and Persian influence. The same influences exist from our culinary tastes to our architecture. However, there is an important distinction between music and language. The formerprimarily appeals to our emotions, while the latter appeals to our intellect. Therefore, nalet me underline the point; when examining language, let our ears and our eyes focus not on how, but on what and why it is said. What about in poetry? I hope the poet, since I did not call them a bard,Let me say thiswithoutangering anyone. I think it is equally true in poetry. Both in the 'how' and in the 'what' and 'why'.

May your new year be happy, blessed, and full ofbeautifulthoughts.