March 12 Adoption of the National Anthem: How was the National Anthem adopted? Short, emotional, and meaningful poems about the March 12 Adoption of the National Anthem

March 12 is commemorated every year with various events as the anniversary of the adoption of the Independence March. The Independence March, which Mehmet Akif Ersoy penned with the dedication "To Our Heroic Army" and which symbolizes the Turkish nation's struggle for independence, was officially adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on March 12, 1921. This year, on its 104th anniversary, the meaning and importance of the anthem will be emphasized through events organized in schools. Students will celebrate this meaningful day by reciting short and long March 12 poems that explore themes of freedom and independence. Here are the most beautiful poems and images regarding the adoption of the Independence March and the subject itself...

WHEN WAS THE INDEPENDENCE MARCH ADOPTED?

The Independence March was adopted as Turkey's national anthem during the session held in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on March 12, 1921. During the difficult years of the War of Independence, the idea of writing an independence march emerged to boost the army's morale and consolidate national unity. In this direction, a competition with a prize of 500 liras was organized by the Ministry of Education (Maarif Vekaleti). A total of 724 poems were submitted to the competition, and 6 of them were selected, printed, and distributed to the members of parliament. However, these poems were not found sufficient by the Minister of National Education of the period, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver.

HOW WAS THE INDEPENDENCE MARCH ADOPTED?

Hamdullah Suphi, who wrote a letter to Burdur Deputy Mehmet Akif Ersoy upon learning that he did not participate in the competition due to the monetary prize, asked him to join. Mehmet Akif accepted this request and penned the Independence March. On March 12, 1921, at the meeting chaired by Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Dr. Adnan Adıvar, 7 poems, including Mehmet Akif's poem, were evaluated. After the discussions, Mehmet Akif's poem was adopted as the Independence March. The anthem was read from the Assembly podium by Hamdullah Suphi. Mehmet Akif did not want to accept the 500-lira prize of the competition, and the money was donated to a charity institution called 'Darül Mesai'.

WHO COMPOSED THE INDEPENDENCE MARCH?

After the adoption of the anthem, a composition competition was organized. The competition, in which 24 musicians participated, was concluded with a delay due to war conditions. In 1924, Ali Rıfat Çağatay's composition was selected, but in 1930, Osman Zeki Üngör's composition was accepted as the official composition of the Independence March.

POEMS ABOUT MARCH 12

WHILE LISTENING TO THE INDEPENDENCE MARCH

Oh bugler, oh bugler

Against the setting sun in the evenings

Like a customary act of worship

That Independence March you play

For years it has found a place in every ear

While holding the heavens with its loud melody

In a rare state of reverence

The whole marketplace stands to listen.

Something like a dream, like an illusion

As if the mountains and stones of the homeland

The most loyal guardian of my history

The martyr's corpse suddenly appears

With this gathering of unknown soldiers

It reminds one of that fierce war

We know from the burning folk songs

The Yemen desert, Sarıkamış.

Ask the wolf, ask the bird, let them tell

What was the Turk's anxiety that day

Anatolia was dressed in black

Blood on one side, tears on the other

Thank God that doomsday did not last

Against the dawn in the middle of the night

Before the sun, it rose on the horizon

Mustafa Kemal's golden head.

The touchstone of patriotism...

CAHİT SITKI TARANCI

MEHMET AKIF

While (the anthem) is being read in every corner of the homeland,

A thousand torches are burning, in the palm of the divine.

You entered an era that became an ocean (with your anthem)!

You always brought the faith of the Turkish soldier to ecstasy!

The climate you rose to is the peaks that clouds cannot reach,

The star in your soul is a work of suns!

Every place overflows and enters ecstasy as it hears (your anthem)!

The soldiers lying without shrouds under the sky's dome!

Ali Ulvi KURUCU

LETTER FROM ANTAKYA

Mountains echoing with the Independence March;

Look, the cloud has become invisible at the border.

The vineyards that resemble the color of my homeland;

Have ceased to be covered in that emerald green.

Yusuf MARDİN