Poet Erdem Bayazıt was commemorated at his grave

At the commemoration ceremony organized by the Istanbul Branch of the Turkish Writers Union ( TYB ), the Quran was read and prayers were said for the poet.

TYB Istanbul Branch President Mahmut Bıyıklı, in his statement to AA correspondent at the commemoration ceremony, said that Bayazıt was not only a poet but also "an activist who took a leading role in the struggle for existence in these lands."

Stating that the master poet set an example for the next generation, Bıyıklı said, "Just as Erdem Bayazıt left deep traces with the poems and works he wrote, he also presented an important legacy to the younger generations with his life, stance and being an elder brother. Bayazıt is a warrior of civilization and a man of cause who stood in the right place in the flow of history. His poetry is not a dry aesthetic search, but has a sensitivity that touches the deep memory of the nation, the pain of the geography and the pain of the ummah."

Drawing attention to Bayazıt's close relationship with the figures who shaped Turkish literature, Bıyıklı explained the following:

"He was an important soldier in a line of struggle in which Sezai Karakoç, Cahit Zarifoğlu, Akif İnan and Alaeddin Özdenören stood shoulder to shoulder as one of the pioneering generations that filled the void in the intellectual world of Türkiye for a period. That generation did not only write poetry and stories, they tried to build an idea of ​​civilization by keeping the spirit of the nation alive. We should mention the name of Erdem Bayazıt when telling about exemplary figures to the youth. Because he showed us the meaning of pursuing the truth, standing tall and being on the right path."

Stating that Bayazıt is at the very heart of Türkiye's search for identity, cultural ruptures and journey to civilization, Bıyıklı made the following assessments:

"Erdem Bayazıt is a poet who reflects not only individual feelings but also the collective conscience of the nation, the ummah and humanity. Bayazıt is an artist who has found his own voice and opened the valley of his poetry. His poetry is a cry, a plea and a call to consciousness for the recent history of Türkiye and the pains and sufferings of the Muslim geography. He was a man of consciousness who did not hold back in both the political and cultural fields, who felt and made felt the pain of the oppressed geographies. From Afghanistan to Palestine, from Jerusalem to Sarajevo, he always positioned his heart and pen on the side of the oppressed. His understanding of poetry centered on 'human and cause' inspires young poets today."

Mahmut Bıyıklı emphasized that Bayazıt was not a poet of individual loneliness, but a poet of social memory, Islamic civilization, Anatolian wisdom and universal conscience, and said, "With his poetry, he reminded us of both the nobility of remaining human and the dignity of being Muslim. In a world we live in today, where poetry, art and ideas are increasingly becoming instrumental, and depth is lost in superficiality, the greatest legacy that Bayazıt left us is the morality of using words only for truth and justice, without distorting the truth."

Emphasizing that the struggle put up by the master poet has a "guiding" meaning for today, Bıyıklı continued his words as follows:

"Erdem Bayazıt has physically left us, but his lines still echo in the depths of time. What falls to us is to understand the spirit of his poetry, to embrace the morality of struggle in the world of ideas, and to never give up our claim to civilization. As TYB, it is our responsibility not to forget Erdem Bayazıt, like all our pioneers who have contributed to our literature and cultural world, and not to let anyone forget him. His pen, voice, and determination to fight will continue to live on in these lands. We pray to God for his mercy and remember his memory with respect and gratitude."