Song of Humanity and Ahmet Tufan Şentürk

It was 1997. I had bought Rıdvan Çongur’s book “Ahmet Tufan Şentürk in the 50th Year of Art” . I was happy. Then the late Mustafa Ceylan ’s book “Ahmet Tufan Şentürk / Life and Art Poems ” came out. My joy doubled. I was experiencing double happiness. Special works had been prepared about Ahmet Tufan Şentürk before. I remember the joint work of İ. Ünver Nasrattınoğlu and Göngör Özden. Yahya Akengin ’s play “The Other Face of Torosların” and the late Nüzhet Erman ’s “ Ahmet Tufan Şentürk Epic” could only be described with the word perfect.

The documentary about Ahmet Tufan Şentürk, which was prepared by Feyzi Halıcı in the series “ Bir Şiirin Hikayesi” (A Poem’s Story), was broadcasted both on the radio and on TRT television. The documentary “Çakırdikeni” , which was shot by Taha Feyizli and which also tells the story of Ahmet Tufan Şentürk, was talked about for a long time. In this context, I would like to note the book of the Ministry of Culture named Ahmet Tufan Şentürk without forgetting it.

It was 1999. The book titled “Poet Ahmet Tufan Şentürk in His 80th Birth Year” by Prof. Dr. Saim Sakaoğlu , who made great efforts in the spread and acceptance of Turkish Folk Literature as a branch of science in our country and was the teacher of teachers, brought new and special information about Ahmet Tufan Şentürk to our cultural life. Ahmet Tufan Şentürk was told in Mustafa Ceylan’s biographical novel titled “Torosların Türküsü” published in the same year.

It was not a common behavior in our society to value a poet in this way while he was alive. So why was everyone eager to give works about Ahmet Tufan Şentürk? His name was given to schools and libraries.

The answer to this question was in the fact that he had all the qualities of being a human being, the most blessed of creations. He had a life and a personality that was exemplary.

Being able to take him as an example and take a share from his life was a matter of luck, and those fortunate enough to be able to take a share from this already knew him as a spiritual father and felt his loving and protective warmth in their hearts. I am one of those people.

At one point my eyes turned to the television. Again, there were images of savagery, of man's cruelty to man. I remembered his poem "The Song of Humanity":

“Why is the world torn apart / Here is the east, there is the west / Why are people of different languages ​​and religions / Why are they white, red, yellow, black / These cities, these streets, these people / In Japan, Korea, Cyprus / Cannons, rifles, bazookas, atoms, rockets / Children listened to the screams of death / Instead of love, instead of compassion, instead of lullabies / These cities, these streets, these people ........”

We have a saying, “Kerim’s barley field burned.” Look how beautifully Ahmet Tufan Şentürk has turned this into a verse:

Praying for rain in vain Fire fell on the soul of the world Burned, friends, burned, Kerem's barley field.. The hearts of the soil and stone are trembling The stars in the sky are anxious Every skull is about to crack Burned, friends, burned, Kerem's barley field.. The windows and doors are closed tightly No air, no light, no sound leaks Now everyone is afraid of each other All our work has always been Burned, friends, burned, Kerem's barley field.. Feelings have become blind, crying why doesn't even God think of his servants We are in a hot desert, the staff is in hands The water bowl is left in the devil's hands Burned, friends, burned, Kerem's barley field.. Heads are like lead, gazes are timid Eaten and drunk poison, the springs An effort that is the effort of life and death Burned, friends, burned, Kerem's barley field.. The world has become shortened from one end to the other It won't happen anymore, it won't, anything can happen, you know? Where is the Messiah dream? It's burned, my friends, it's burned.

Kerem's barley field..