The “Four Masters on One Stage: Turkish Cypriot Literature Meeting” event, held at Near East University, brought important figures of Turkish Cypriot literature back into the spotlight through student presentations, documentary screenings, and discussions.
The “Four Masters on One Stage: Turkish Cypriot Literature Meeting” event, held at Near East University, which is among the top 500 universities in the world, brought literature and theater together on the same stage, providing students with an unforgettable cultural and artistic experience. The event, held in the Orange Hall of the Faculty of Communication, was followed with great interest by the students.
The event, carried out in collaboration with the Near East University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Turkish Language Teaching, Turkish-Literature Club, and the Near East University Cyprus Research Center, was chaired by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır. As part of the event, which was carried out by third and fourth-year students of the Department of Turkish Language Teaching, documentaries about four important authors were also screened. The event included the following presentations: Binnur Arı presented on “Critical Historical Understanding in the Novel ‘We Connected the Road from Girne’”, Ezgi Demirel on “Ali Nesim’s Understanding of Poetry”, Tülaynur Koyun on “Osman Türkay’s Place in Turkish Cypriot Literature”, and Irmak Kuzukesen on “Cyprus in Urkiye Mine Balman’s Poems”.
Tayfun Nesimoğlu, son of the late Ali Nesim, a significant poet, writer, and academic in Turkish Cypriot literature, also spoke at the event. Describing his father’s academic personality, Nesimoğlu spoke about his passion for literature and his contributions to Turkish Cypriot literature. Sharing memories of his father with the participants, Nesimoğlu emphasized that Ali Nesim was not only a writer but also a powerful educator who inspired his students. Nesimoğlu highlighted the mark his father left on Turkish Cypriot literature through his works and the cultural heritage he passed on to future generations. As part of the event, Tayfun Nesimoğlu also gifted books to the participating students.
The poetry reading was filled with emotional moments!
The program, hosted by Gamze Portakal, a second-year student in the Turkish Language Teaching Department, was filled with literary and poetry-filled moments. The event, which was followed with great interest by poetry lovers, brought together the works of well-known poets. As part of the program, Serpil Deniz Uğurelli, Mediha Çiftçi, and İrem Nisa Gül recited selected poems by four different poets. The poetry reading, which was well-received by the audience, was filled with emotional moments. The program, which highlighted the importance of poetry and literature, received high praise from the participants and once again demonstrated the unifying power of cultural and artistic events on society. At the end of the event, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır, Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut, and Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur presented certificates of appreciation to the participants who contributed to the event.
Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur: “Young generations get to know their own cultural values more closely through these events.”
In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur, Head of the Cyprus Studies Center at Near East University, drew attention to the literary legacy of four important writers who shaped Turkish Cypriot literature. He stated that these figures are significant not only for their works but also for their efforts in preserving and transmitting Turkish Cypriot culture to future generations, emphasizing that literature is one of the most powerful tools for keeping social memory alive.
Prof. Dr. Öznur also dedicated a special section to Osman Türkay, reminding the audience that Türkay was the first Turkish poet to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and that his understanding of poetry, which reached universal dimensions, was an important figure who brought Turkish Cypriot literature to the world stage. He noted that such events are of great importance for younger generations to become more familiar with their own cultural values, and stated that universities are not only institutions that produce academic knowledge but also centers where culture and art are kept alive. Prof. Dr. Öznur also said that these events contribute to establishing a strong bond between students and the world of literature.
