― 4 декабря 2019 г.
Pioneers of the Turkic World: 16- The famous Poet of Turkmeneli, Felekoglu of Tal Afar
The International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY dedicated its 16th conference on pioneers of the Turkic World to the famous poet of Turkmeneli of Tal Afar on the 90th anniversary of his birthday.
The conference held in TURKSOY Headquarters took place in the presence of TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov and gathered Casim Al-Attar, the Representative of the Embassy of Irak in Ankara along with Dr. Şemsettin Kuzeci the author, researcher and Chairman of the Kirkuk Culture Association who prepared the book for its publication, Fevzi Ekrem Terzioglu, the famous poet from Tal Afar and Director of Turkmen Culture of the Association of Iraki Authors and Literature Experts Mr. Mikdat Havdi who each delivered a speech.
Secretary General Kasseinov who said that TURKSOY has been carrying out activities to pormote the legacy of illustrious personalities of the Turkic World and introduce it to young generations around the world since 2017 and that with this series of conferences, tribute is being paid to their memory by introducing to the world the music, folklore and literature of the regions they come from.
Mr. Kasseinov further said: “Felekoğlu is really a unique personality of history: indeed, throughout his life he did not only contribute to the enrichment of contemporary Turkmen literature but also played a key role in preserving the spirit of our traditional literature and transmitting it to young generations. The Iraki Turkmen people therefore commemorate him with great respect.”
The event also featured a book prepared by Dr. Şemsettin Küzeci and published by TURKSOY on the life and work of the famous poet of the Iraki Turkmen people Felekoğlu of Tal Afar. While the first chapter of the book deals with the birth, the family, literary style of the poet, his lyrical poems and his death, the second chapter of the book introduces information on his poems and books and the third chapter of the book features poems written about Felekoğlu after his death. Copies of the book featuring 255 pages were offered to all participants.
The author and researcher Şemsettin Küzeci who expressed his happiness to be in TURKSOY Headquarters on this occasion extended his gratitude to TURKSOY and its staff members for their contribution and support regarding the promotion of illustrious personalities of the Turkmeneli region and the suuport of the Iraki Turkmen people who are trying to preserve their own language and culture in Irak. Mr. Küzeci who also said that Felekoğlu did research on Iraki Turkmen dialects, created new words which did not exist in Turkmen language and used them in his own works further added:
"Felekoğlu, is a poet whose works address a large group of readers. Research has shown that his works feature 116 words with no equivalent translation neither in our language nor in Turkmen language. We asked the people of Tal Afar for help to find the meanings of these words. In some cases, we were successful but there are still 12 words which we do not know the meaning of. Not even his family knows the meaning of these words. These words created by Felekoğlu himself can also be found in this book."
Other keynote speakers of the conference touched upon the life and poetry of Felekoğlu and his contribution to the literature of the Iraki Turkmen people and recited some of his poems which have been transmitted from one generation to the next in the Turkmeneli region.
At the end of the event, minstrels from Tal Afer, Ahmet Ryza and Sadyk Sazyguzel sang folk songs composed on poems by Felekoğlu.
The event went on with the handing over of souvenirs and plaquettes and ended with a gourp photograph taken as a remembrance of the day.
