AYDIN, Mehmet

dğuPoet and writer (b. 4 March 1923, Bayat / Emirdağ / Afyon). He comes from a family of teachers, poets and calligraphers. He attended primary school in Bayat and then attended the Afyon High School (1943). He graduated from İstanbul University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Turkish Language and Literature (1948). He worked as teacher and administrator at the Village Institutes in Pazarören (Kayseri, 1939), Cılavuz (Kars, 1950-52), and Pulur (Erzurum, 1952-54), Çanakkale Primary Teachers Training High School (1954-58) and Bursa Institute of Education (1959-60). After staying in France for a year, he became a lecturer at Belgrade University (1965-68). Then, he worked at the Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, again, as a teacher of literature (1969-80). He was a delegate in sub-committees for draft preparation of the Education Institutes administration and the Law of Basic Education. For a short period of time, he worked at the ex-Turkish Language Association as a branch specialist of terminology. He was also a member of the committee for determining on writing principles of Turkish language. Since 1998, he has been a lecturer at Bilkent University.

His first article (Sarıdan Yeşile Doğru-From Yellow to Green) was published in the review Varlık in 1953. His poems, where he was inspired by the tradition of folk poetry, and other articles were published in the reviews Çağdaş Türk Dili (1994-95), İnsancıl (1995-96), Kıyı (1995), Damar (1995-96) and in the newspaper Cumhuriyet (1992, 95-96). He collected the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation Great Award in 1970 with his poetry book with the title Özgürlüğe Açılan Eller (Hands Open towards Liberty); the Critic Award of the review Oluşum in 1980; honorary mansion at the Abdi İpekçi Essay Contest in 1989; the Ankara Governorship Award for Contributions to Turkish Education in 1998; the Award for Contribution to Turkish Folklore in 1998 and the Writers Syndicate of Türkiye, Ankara Turkish Authors Association Award of Respect for Labor in 2001. He is a member of the Writers Syndicate of Türkiye, the Ankara Authors Association (where he is one of the founders), the Modern Turkish Language Association, the Turkish Folklore Research Association and the Ankara Arts Foundation.

WORKS:

POETRY: Özgürlüğe Açılan Eller (Hands Open towards Liberty, 1971), Halkın Soluğu (Breath of People, 1978), Işığın Kavgası (Struggle of Light, 1979), Şiirsiz Kalmasın (Never Be Out of Poetry, 1985), Yeryüzü Sancısı (Pain of Land, 1985), Yürekte Yanan Dünya (World Burning in Hearth, 1988), Mavi Ter (Blue Sweat, 1992), Işıltılar (Glitter, 1995), Derin Bir Aynadan (From a Deep Mirror, 1999), Bozkırı Aydınlatan Mavi (Blue Shedding Light on Steppe, 2004).

ESSAY-RESEARCH-STUDY: Bayat-Bayat Boyu ve Oğuzların Tarihi (Bayat-Bayat Clan and the History of Oğuz Turks, 1984), Şairlerden İzler (Traces from Poets, 1992), Ne Yazıyor Bu Kadınlar / Osmanlıdan Günümüze Örnekleriyle Kadın Şair ve Yazarlar (What Do These Women Write / Women Poets and Writers from Ottoman Times to Present in Examples, 1995), Yunus Emre, Nasrettin Hoca ve Hacı Bektaş Veli Düşüncesinde Hoşgörü (Tolerance in the Thoughts of Yunus Emre, Nasrettin Hoca and Hacı Bektaş Veli*, collaborative work, 1995), Türlü Yönleriyle Tekerlemeler (Tongue Twisters with Their Various Aspects, 1998), Edebiyatın Kıyılarında (On the Shores of Literature, 1998), Oğuz ve Türkmen Kültür Şöleni (Oghuz and Turkoman Culture Festival, 2000), Meşhur Olan Fakir Çocuklar (Famous Poor Children, 2001), Ankara’da Resim Sergilerinden Notlar (Notes from Painting Exhibitions in Ankara, 2001), Ömrün Derin Sularında (In the Depths of Life, 2002), 17. Yüzyıl Divan Şairlerinden Vecdî Divanı (Divan* of Vecdi, the Divan* Poet of the XVI. Century, 2003).

COLLECTION-DICTIONARY: İlkokullar İçin Türkçe Geliştirilmiş Sözlük (Advanced Dictionary of Turkish for Primary Schools, 1990), Yazım Kılavuzu (A Guide for Spelling, 1990), Açıklamalı Deyimler Sözlüğü (Dictionary of Idioms with Explanations, 1990), Geliştirilmiş ve Açıklamalı Atasözleri (Expanded and Explained Proverbs, 1992), Türk ve Dünya Edebiyatından Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (Dictionary of Poets and Writers in Turkish and World Literature, 1992), Düşünceler ve Sohbetler (Thoughts and Conversations).

BIOGRAPHY: Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil– Yaşamı-Sanatı-Eserleri (Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil, His Life, Art and Works, 2002).

INTERVIEW: Sözden Yazıya (From Speech to Writing, collaborative work, 1996).

Besides, he wrote text books and made simplifications.