APersonIndependent states
Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Poet (1873–1936), author of the national anthem and of Safahat, remembered as the national poet.
Mehmet Akif was born in Istanbul, graduated from the veterinary school and worked for many years as a veterinarian. At the same time he wrote poetry, translated from Arabic and Persian and published essays in the journal Sırat-ı Müstakim.
His seven-book collection Safahat portrays city life, poverty and society's troubles in realistic scenes. During the War of Independence he toured Anatolia calling people to the struggle and sat in the first Grand National Assembly as deputy for Burdur.
The poem he wrote in 1921 was adopted as Türkiye's national anthem. Akif lived in Egypt from 1925 to 1936, returned to Istanbul shortly before his death and died on 27 December 1936.
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Updated: October 2, 2026