Article
Poets show solidarity with Turkey
Solidarity Park Poetry
June 20, 2013
OFFICIAL CALL FOR POEMS:
“I cannot applaud tyranny, I can never love a tyrant.” Turkish poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, quoted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on stage before a crowd of 10,000 on 6th June, 2013.
According to Alev Yaman and Erda Halisdemir, reporting for English PEN, Erdogan also invoked Ersoy’s epic Safahat and 13th century Anatolian Sufi humanist poet Yunus Emre. Poetry, then, is at the heart of the struggle in Turkey, and – as with public space – no government, politician or party should be able to claim control over the power of poetry to inspire, persuade and empathise. We as poets internationally propose a poetic #ResistTurkey / #OccupyGezi to celebrate both the spaces and discourses of freedom of expression, which Erdoğan’s government has repressed.
We offer our words in solidarity, as translations and inspirations drawn from the creative protests in words and actions taking place across Turkey, and we invite you to join us in doing the same.
Please email us new or previously published poems that resonate with these issues, or alert us to links to any new poems being published online. Our email address is: solidarityparkpoetry@gmail.com. Please submit no more than three poems and include a short bio and an image that either reflects your thoughts on resistance or an author photo. We welcome poems in all languages, including sign languages and visual poetry. If you do have an English translation handy by a reputable translator then do send it along. Turkish-English and English-Turkish translators are also invited to get in touch!
“Come here, let’s make peace, let’s not be strangers to one another” – Yunus Emre
Yours In Solidarity,
The Editors
Sascha Akhtar, Nia Davies, Sophie Mayer
Links
English PEN report link
The dedicated website of Solidarity Park Poetry
“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force” – Martin Luther King Aug 28, 1963
Solidarity Park Poetry is an intiative by three poets and editors, Sascha Akhtar, Nia Davies and Sophie Mayer in a show of solidarity with the verve, courage and “soul force” of the Turkish people as they struggle to own what is theirs. In this space we will share poems written and given in solidarity as well as images and reports from the reality on the ground in cities and towns across Turkey.OFFICIAL CALL FOR POEMS:
“I cannot applaud tyranny, I can never love a tyrant.” Turkish poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, quoted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on stage before a crowd of 10,000 on 6th June, 2013.
According to Alev Yaman and Erda Halisdemir, reporting for English PEN, Erdogan also invoked Ersoy’s epic Safahat and 13th century Anatolian Sufi humanist poet Yunus Emre. Poetry, then, is at the heart of the struggle in Turkey, and – as with public space – no government, politician or party should be able to claim control over the power of poetry to inspire, persuade and empathise. We as poets internationally propose a poetic #ResistTurkey / #OccupyGezi to celebrate both the spaces and discourses of freedom of expression, which Erdoğan’s government has repressed.
We offer our words in solidarity, as translations and inspirations drawn from the creative protests in words and actions taking place across Turkey, and we invite you to join us in doing the same.
Please email us new or previously published poems that resonate with these issues, or alert us to links to any new poems being published online. Our email address is: solidarityparkpoetry@gmail.com. Please submit no more than three poems and include a short bio and an image that either reflects your thoughts on resistance or an author photo. We welcome poems in all languages, including sign languages and visual poetry. If you do have an English translation handy by a reputable translator then do send it along. Turkish-English and English-Turkish translators are also invited to get in touch!
“Come here, let’s make peace, let’s not be strangers to one another” – Yunus Emre
Yours In Solidarity,
The Editors
Sascha Akhtar, Nia Davies, Sophie Mayer
Links
English PEN report link
The dedicated website of Solidarity Park Poetry
© Solidarity Park Poetry
Source: EnglishPen.org, 13 June 2013
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