A master pen who shed light on an era with his works: Ahmet Kabaklı

Born on May 30, 1924, as the child of İmam Ömer Efendi and Münire Hanım, Ahmet Kabaklı spent his childhood in the village of Göllübağ in Harput, Elazığ, where he was born. 

Kabaklı completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Elazığ, and his higher education at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Turkology. He subsequently served as a literature teacher at high schools in Diyarbakır and Manisa. 

While still a student in 1946, his article titled "Is Yunus Emre right, or is Gölpınarlı?" was published in the "Son Saat" newspaper. Kabaklı's writings were also featured in the "Hareket" magazine, published by Nurettin Topçu, and the "Bizim Türkiye" magazine. 

Ahmet Kabaklı's poems and articles appeared in the "Yeni İstanbul" and "Hisar" magazines. The master pen, who won the column competition organized by the "Tercüman" newspaper in 1956 alongside Emil Galip Sandalcı and Hakkı Gülmen, wrote various articles for the same newspaper. 

Kabaklı, who went to Paris in 1956 with a scholarship from the Ministry of National Education, served as a literature teacher at the Istanbul Çapa Education Institute between 1958 and 1969 after returning to Turkey. 

HE PRACTICED LAW FOR A SHORT TIME

Kabaklı, who also practiced law for a short time, began working as a faculty member at the Istanbul Higher Teachers' School starting in 1969. 

The author, who began teaching literature courses at the State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1974, the year he retired, founded the Turkish Literature Association with friends including Nihat Sami Banarlı, Mehmet Kaplan, Mümtaz Turhan, and Tarık Buğra. 

Kabaklı, who also managed the Turkish Literature magazine published by the association, was among the founders of the Turkish Literature Foundation in 1978. 

Continuing his articles in the "Tercüman" newspaper until 1990, Kabaklı later wrote articles for his column in the "Türkiye" newspaper. 

Kabaklı, who had been serving as a full member of the Turkish Language Association since 1995, was awarded the title of "Şeyhül Muharririn" (Master of Writers) at a ceremony held on December 14, 1996, with the support of the Intellectuals' Hearth (Aydınlar Ocağı) and 55 volunteer organizations. 

HE PASSED AWAY IN 2001

Kabaklı, who was hospitalized due to a lung infection and passed away on February 8, 2001, was laid to rest in Eyüpsultan. 

Kabaklı, whose works bear the traces of Harput and the era he lived in, also contributed to the introduction of talented young writers to the literary world. 

The master pen, who shed light on an era with his column writings and works that he continued until the end of his life, did not give up writing despite the lawsuits filed against him. 

In his works, Kabaklı included themes of love for God, the Prophet, the homeland, and the nation, as well as socially significant themes such as love for family, humanity, animals, and the country. 

Some of the works authored by Ahmet Kabaklı are as follows: 

"Mehmet Akif", "Yunus Emre", "Mevlana", "Bizim Alkibiades/Ecevit", "Ecurufya", "Sohbetler 1-2", "Temellerin Duruşması", "Güneydoğu Yakından", "Şiir İncelemeleri", "Doğudan Doğuş", "Türk Edebiyatı", "Kültür Emperyalizmi", "Müslüman Türkiye", "Mabet ve Millet", "Şair-i Cihan Nedim", "Şiir İncelemeleri", "Millete Vurulan Canlı Pranga: Bürokrasi", "Alperen", "Devlet Felsefemiz", "Çağlara Hükmedenler", "Türkiye'yi Yoğuranlar", "Sınırların Ötesi", "İstanbul Güldestesi", "Divan Edebiyatı", "Aşık Edebiyatı", "Tasavvuf", "Tarikat", "Edebiyat", "İslam'la Kaynaşmış Türk Edebiyatı", "Fatih ve İstanbul", "Sanat ve Edebiyatımız"

News Source: AA