Turkey National Anthem

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Anthem History

Istiklal Marsi

Lyrics by: M.Akif Ersoy

Music composed by : Zeki Üngör

The "Istiklal Marsi" (The Independence March) was officially adopted as Turkey's National Anthem on March 12, 1921. 724 poems were submitted to a competition organized to find and select the most suitable original composition for this March, and a poem written by the poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy was adopted unanimously by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Twenty-four composers participated in another competition arranged for the selection of a musical composition for the National Anthem. The Council, which was only able to convene in 1924, due to the War of Independence adopted the music composed by Ali Rifat Çagatay. The words of the National Anthem were sung to this music for eight years. Thereafter, the music of the National Anthem was changed to an arrangement written by Zeki Üngör, conductor of the Presidental Symphonic Orchestra, and the words of the National Anthem have been sung to this musical accompaniment ever since.

Anthem Lyrics

Istiklal Marsi

Korkma, sönmez bu ?afaklarda yüzen al sancak;

Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak.

O benim milletimin y?ld?z?d?r, parlayacak;

O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak.

Çatma, kurban olay?m, çehreni ey nazl? hilal!

Kahraman ?rk?ma bir gül! Ne bu ?iddet, bu celal?

Sana olmaz dökülen kanlar?m?z sonra helal...

Hakk?d?r, hakk'a tapan, milletimin istiklal!

Ben ezelden beridir hür ya?ad?m, hür ya?ar?m.

Hangi ç?lg?n bana zincir vuracakm??? ?a?ar?m!

Kükremi? sel gibiyim, bendimi çi?ner, a?ar?m.

Y?rtar?m da?lar?, enginlere s??mam, ta?ar?m.

Garb?n afak?n? sarm??sa çelik z?rhl? duvar,

Benim iman dolu gö?süm gibi serhaddim var.

Ulusun, korkma! Nas?l böyle bir iman? bo?ar,

'Medeniyet!' dedi?in tek di?i kalm?? canavar?

Arkada?! Yurduma alçaklar? u?ratma, sak?n.

Siper et gövdeni, dursun bu hayas?zca ak?n.

Do?acakt?r sana va'dettigi günler hakk'?n...

Kim bilir, belki yar?n, belki yar?ndan da yak?n.

Bast???n yerleri 'toprak!' diyerek geçme, tan?:

Dü?ün alt?nda binlerce kefensiz yatan?.

Sen ?ehit o?lusun, incitme, yaz?kt?r, atan?:

Verme, dünyalar? alsan da, bu cennet vatan?.

Kim bu cennet vatan?n u?runa olmaz ki feda?

?uheda f??k?racak topra?? s?ksan, ?uheda!

Can?, canan?, bütün var?m? als?n da hüda,

Etmesin tek vatan?mdan beni dünyada cüda.

Ruhumun senden, ilahi, ?udur ancak emeli:

De?mesin mabedimin gö?süne namahrem eli.

Bu ezanlar-ki ?ahadetleri dinin temeli,

Ebedi yurdumun üstünde benim inlemeli.

O zaman vecd ile bin secde eder -varsa- ta??m,

Her cerihamdan, ilahi, bo?an?p kanl? ya??m,

F??k?r?r ruh-i mücerred gibi yerden na'??m;

O zaman yükselerek arsa de?er belki ba??m.

Dalgalan sen de ?afaklar gibi ey ?anl? hilal!

Olsun art?k dökülen kanlar?m?n hepsi helal.

Ebediyen sana yok, ?rk?ma yok izmihlal:

Hakk?d?r, hür ya?am??, bayra??m?n hürriyet;

Hakk?d?r, hakk'a tapan, milletimin istiklal!

Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Anthem Lyrics English

Fear not, the crimson flag, waving in these dawns will never fade

Before the last hearth that is burning in my nation vanishes.

That is my nation's star, it will shine;

That is mine, it belongs solely to my nation.

Oh coy crescent do not frown for I am ready to sacrifice myself for you!

Please smile upon my heroic nation, why that anger, why that rage?

If you frown, our blood shed for you will not be worthy.

Freedom is the right of my nation who worships God and seeks what is right.

Turkey Flag

Flag History

Red was the color of Umar I, the caliph who ruled from AS 634 to 644 and was known as a great Islamic empire consolidator. In the 14th century, red became the color of the Ottoman Empire. The crescent and the star is the symbol of Islam.

Red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and a white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening; the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for Turkic peoples; according to one interpretation, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors

Flag Date of Adoption

5 June 1936

Flag Symbolism

red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

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