Ömer Seyfettin
Encyclopedia
Ömer Seyfettin, also Omer Seyfeddin, (March 11, 1884, Gönen
– March 6, 1920, Istanbul
) was a Turkish
nationalist writer
from late 19th to early 20th century, considered to be one of the greatest modern Turkish authors. His work is much praised for simplifying the Turkish language
from the Persian
and Arabic
words and phrases that were common at the time.
, a town in Balıkesir Province
, in 1884. Son of a military official, he spent his early life travelling around the coast of Marmara Sea. He graduated from a military veterinary academy in 1896, followed by a prolonged military education that lasted until the 1903 events in Macedonia
.
After serving in the conflict as infantry second lieutenant
, he was posted as an instructor in a military school in İzmir
. This position was an opportunity for Seyfettin to improve his French
, and interact with like-minded young writers.
Gönen
Gönen is a district of Balıkesir Province of Turkey, located in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs, leather processing and rice production. The mayor is Hüseyin Yakar .-Location:...
– March 6, 1920, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
) was a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
nationalist writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
from late 19th to early 20th century, considered to be one of the greatest modern Turkish authors. His work is much praised for simplifying the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
from the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
words and phrases that were common at the time.
Biography
Ömer Seyfettin was born in GönenGönen
Gönen is a district of Balıkesir Province of Turkey, located in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs, leather processing and rice production. The mayor is Hüseyin Yakar .-Location:...
, a town in Balıkesir Province
Balikesir Province
Balıkesir Province is a province in midwestern Turkey, having coastlines on both the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. Its adjacent provinces are Çanakkale to the west, İzmir to the southwest, Manisa to the south, Kütahya to the southeast, and Bursa to the east. The provincial capital is Balıkesir City...
, in 1884. Son of a military official, he spent his early life travelling around the coast of Marmara Sea. He graduated from a military veterinary academy in 1896, followed by a prolonged military education that lasted until the 1903 events in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
.
After serving in the conflict as infantry second lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, he was posted as an instructor in a military school in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. This position was an opportunity for Seyfettin to improve his French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and interact with like-minded young writers.
Story
- Harem (1918)
- Yüksek Ökçeler (1922)
- Gizli Mabed (1923)
- Beyaz Lale (1938)
- Asilzâdeler (1938)
- İlk Düşen Ak (1938)
- Mahçupluk İmtihanı (1938)
- Dalga (1943)
- Nokta (1956)
- Tarih Ezelî Bir Tekerrürdür (1958)