President Erdogan: Unveiling Hagia Sophia was a privilege for us
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made remarks at the Necip Fazıl Awards Ceremony at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM). Reminding everyone of Necip Fazıl’s words “One day Hagia Sophia will be opened… One day it will be opened… One day it will be opened…” President Erdogan stated, “It was our destiny to open Hagia Sophia.” He also offered condolences for the late artist Ferdi Tayfur, saying, “We will always remember the late Ferdi Tayfur with nostalgia for his magnificent songs that touched our hearts and as a patriotic folk artist.”
President Erdogan spoke at the Necip Fazıl Awards Ceremony at the Atatürk Cultural Center.
President Erdogan’s key statements were as follows: “Dear Istanbulites, esteemed members of the Star Newspaper, valuable representatives of our culture, art, and literary world, esteemed guests; I greet you all with heartfelt emotions, respect, and affection. We are gathered here for the 11th Necip Fazıl Awards to uphold the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural legacy of Necip Fazıl Kısakürek. I express my sincere thanks to my esteemed teachers and elders who cherish the memory of the master. I pray to Allah for mercy on the master, the poet, thinker, and man of action, Necip Fazıl. He set an example for all of us with his thoughts that expanded our horizons, his determined struggle that became an icon in the hearts of our nation. Necip Fazıl, considered the spiritual root of our nation, boldly confronted the oppressors and minions who tried to erase Islam from these lands and the memory of our noble nation. Despite numerous persecutions, obstacles, imprisonments, and being thrown into dark dungeons, he never shied away from defending truth and justice. When a judge once asked, ‘When will we be rid of you?’ his response was profound: ‘As long as you are the innkeeper on this road, and I am a traveler, you will never be rid of me.’
ONLY THE FORTUNATE UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH
Guiding the brave sons of Anatolia with his insightful, resolute, and foresighted stance, Master Necip Fazıl has shown the masses the way, instilled the spirit of struggle, and became one of the foundational stones of our intellectual and artistic edifice. I pray for Allah’s approval of his efforts, endeavors, and the hardships he endured. I also remember with mercy Mehmet Kısakürek, entrusted to us by our master who passed away in 2023, and pray for his shortcomings to be forgiven and replaced with good deeds by Allah. On this occasion, I also remember with respect the late artists and intellectuals to whom we presented the Necip Fazıl Awards previously but are no longer with us. These figures, each leaving behind valuable works and lasting impressions, remind us once again of the depth, richness, and blessing of our intellectual and cultural world. I would like to share once again a point I have previously mentioned: These lands have been molded in the vast vessel of knowledge, wisdom, and virtue for centuries. Being born in these lands, being a part of this nation, this civilization, and this community is a gift, a blessing, a grace from Allah to us. Only those who are sincere and passionate about this nation can comprehend this truth. Only sincere lovers of this nation can carry the responsibility and the sense of belonging. You, the heirs and representatives of a deep evolution, a rich accumulation, and a rich history spanning centuries, are the bearers of this heritage with your intellectual and artistic works and exemplary stance, and I thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart.
THE MASTER SAID, ‘ONE DAY HAGIA SOPHIA WILL BE OPENED’
Necip Fazıl, by cherishing the memory of Necip Fazıl and organizing this valuable award ceremony, I congratulate the Star Newspaper and our Ministry of Culture. I already congratulate our writers, poets, intellectual workers, and artists whom we will present awards to shortly, and I pray that Allah opens their paths and blesses their fortunes. Furthermore, I wholeheartedly congratulate our jury members who have determined the deserving recipients after an intense evaluation process and thank each one of them for their efforts. Esteemed guests, poets and thinkers who have not strayed from their cultural roots and have not severed their emotional connection with their people and the truth are the resounding voices of the people and the truth transcending time. Poetry born from the poet’s heart is the embodiment of the nation’s wisdom in voice, speech, and thought. These poets, nourished by their core values, are the pioneers who feed the national consciousness with their verses, contributing to the revival and construction of the national identity. Master Necip Fazıl is precisely such a poet. His poems are like footnotes dropped into our civilization. May Allah have mercy on him. The words of Necip Fazıl resonate beautifully with his belief and ideal world in one of his speeches in Sultanahmet Square: “One day Hagia Sophia will be opened… One day it will be opened… One day it will be opened…”
HE CONTRIBUTED UNTIL HIS LAST BREATH
Necip Fazıl was a person with such an expansive horizon. By shouting from there in that manner, it fell upon us to present him. With his poems that transcend time, he describes our cause and our dream to us; he brings out the hidden gem within us. Even a foreigner reading Necip Fazıl’s poems can clearly understand our nation’s history, sufferings, and struggles. Through his poems, thoughts, and ideals, he led and inspired the generations that followed him as a man of action who left his mark in history. Because the master held up a mirror to the nation’s heart with his poems that broke down barriers and spoke the truth sincerely. The master’s greatest struggle was against those who threatened the future of this nation by trying to erase Islam from the memories of society. The master opposed the youth projects detached from the roots of the single-party mindset, fought for a generation that knew who they were, where they came from, and what they could do, and dedicated himself to contributing to a generation until his last breath. His ideal youth is a youth who is conscious of the fact that “time and space are entrusted to me.”
KEYBOARD HEROES DO NOT KNOW
A youth who sees true freedom in servitude to Allah, a youth whose roots extend to the ground and branches reach eternity… A youth who is the advocate of his language, religion, knowledge, and actions… A youth who will set an example for all humanity… A youth who will emerge by saying ‘I am here!’ without looking to his right or left when called upon, revealing a youth who will carry the ideal of rising himself first by preserving his national identity and core values and then elevating his nation and reaching the Crimson Apple. The ideal youth that the master dreamt of is the youth we dream of too. This historic turning point we focus on for the Turkey Century goals perfectly overlaps with the vision presented by Master Necip Fazıl with the concept of “Great East.” However, it is certainly difficult for today’s keyboard heroes and social media showmen to understand this. Those who fill their sails with winds blowing from across the ocean, cannot grasp the ever-growing legacy of Necip Fazıl, who resonated with the sentiments of the nation. The master, addressing the longings of our nation that were considered poor and undervalued, turned those longings into flags of words and thoughts. By lighting the torches of signals that we all followed, and will follow in the future, he has paved our way. This torch he ignited will continue to illuminate our path today and tomorrow, guiding and leading us. This call in the Great East March of Necip Fazıl, “Liberated nation chosen by Allah… Raise your head toward the skies! Would you be hunted if someone throws a noose? Eternity cannot be besieged, will not be encircled.” This call in Necip Fazıl’s Great East March continues to inspire us. By raising our heads to the skies, following the beauty, the truth, and the eternal, we will continue to follow great guides like Necip Fazıl to guide us.
A MERIT WORTHY OF PRAISE
Dear friends, our emotional and intellectual world is the most prominent trait that sometimes unites us with the society we live in and sometimes sets us apart. Just as some of the ears of wheat in a wheat field stand higher than others, among the large crowds, many pens, intellects, and wordsmiths stand out with their thoughts, writings, and poems that touch our hearts. We consider the late Necip Fazıl Kısakürek as one of the last examples of these special individuals. Those who knew him closely speak of three important characteristics that set him apart. The first is his preservation of a vigorous physical and mental structure despite the turbulent life he lived, the polemics he engaged in, the political pressures he faced, the legal persecutions, the trials, the prison sentences, and the unrelenting diabetes that plagued him. His personality that never gave up, bowed down, or collapsed against all odds was always remembered with admiration and awe. The second characteristic of the master is his incomparable artistry. Necip Fazıl left his mark in every field of literature from poetry to theater, shaping the agenda of the era with his library of works on political, social, and historical subjects. To become proficient in various branches of art, literature, and science and give life to different works is certainly a merit worthy of praise. To understand his place in poetry, it is enough to remember the title he was deemed worthy of, “Sultanü’ş-Şuara” (Sultan of Poets). The master was a man of the beyond, metaphysics, and the realms. In his poem “Suffering,” he expressed this characteristic: “The beyonds, the beyonds, my target; Distances are too narrow for me. If adorned ships pass by openly, I think they should be in the land I’m headed to. You have a wound, you have air, no balm can heal. I have a burden, markets cannot find dirhams. What good is a shadow that didn’t embark on a road? Roads that lead to Allah are in me.” The third quality that sets him apart is his desire, in his own words, to be “aware of the essence of everything.” His goal was to understand the eternal truth behind what is visible and invisible. In one of his conversations, he cited the prayer of our Prophet, saying, “Oh Lord, show me the essence of things as they are.” His understanding of art can be summarized by his words: “Art is to seek Allah. This is knowledge. The rest is just a rod of steel.”
YOU FIND YOURSELF IN ALL HIS WORKS
As the poet of the cause and the suffering, Necip Fazıl was a thinker who sought truth and deeply contemplated various themes from objects to nature, history to society. You feel his search and thoughts in all his works. In one of his poems, he says: “No torment, no resentment from this loneliness, to whom? This being is in me. If adorned ships pass by openly, I think they should be in the land I’m headed to. You have a wound, you have air, no balm can heal. I have a burden, markets cannot find dirhams. What good is a shadow that didn’t embark on a road? Roads that lead to Allah are in me.” The master, through his works, delved into Turkish history, society, and politics, examining works that contributed to the revival and construction of the national identity and the promotion of the subtleties of Islam to the world. At times, you will notice his style hardening, asking questions one after the other in a prosecutorial manner, examining his interlocutor. However, his anger and frustration were not for himself but for his cause, his nation, and his country. In a time when various oppressions were considered legitimate to remove Islam from life, Necip Fazıl emerged on the scene, saving many people from despair and rekindling their hopes. May Allah bless him. Necip Fazıl, with his books, articles, and speeches that captivated the crowds, influenced and changed many futures, including ours. The most profound words he wrote during the craziest period are a reflection of his deep love and responsibility for his nation: “Stop crowds! This street is a dead-end!”
AWARDS FIND THEIR OWNERS
The Necip Fazıl Awards, held for the 11th time this year to preserve the spiritual and cultural legacy of one of the most significant literary and intellectual figures in the history of the Republic, Necip Fazıl, met with their new recipients. The event, which attracted great interest from art lovers, was highly attended. The awards were presented in seven different categories in the name of Necip Fazıl. The names of the award recipients and categories are as follows: Poetry Award: Furkan Çalışkan, Story-Novel Award: Naime Erkovan, Idea-Research Award: Dr. Mustafa Merter, First Works Award: Gülşen Funda, International Culture-Art Award: Sliman Mansour, Children’s Literature Award: Nehir Aydın Gökduman, Music Award: Muzaffer Ertürk, Respect Award: Hasan Çelebi
NECIP FAZIL’S CONTRIBUTIONS WERE DISCUSSED
At the ceremony, where Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also delivered speeches, Necip Fazıl’s contributions to the world of literature were once again emphasized. The award recipients, in their thank-you speeches, highlighted the importance of literature and art, expressing how proud they were to receive an award in the name of such a great figure as Necip Fazıl. At the end of the program, President Erdogan presented the awards to the winners and then took a commemorative photograph with the award recipients.
