The Turkish National Anthem

The "Istiklal Marsi" (The Independence March) was officially adopted as Turkey's National Anthem on March 12, 1921.

724 poems were submitted to a competition organized to find and select the most suitable original composition for this March, and a poem written by the poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy was adopted unanimously by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Twenty-four composers participated in another competition arranged for the selection of a musical composition for the National Anthem. The Council, which was only able to convene in 1924, due to the War of Independence adopted the music composed by Ali Rifat Cagatay. The words of the National Anthem were sung to this music for eight years.

Thereafter, the music of the National Anthem was changed to an arrangement written by Zeki Ungor, conductor of the Presidential Symphonic Orchestra, and the words of the National Anthem have been sung to this musical accompaniment ever since.

Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak O benim milletimin yldızıdır, parlayacak O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak Çatma, kurban olayım, çehreni ey nazlı hilal Kahraman ırkıma bir gül! Ne bu şiddet, bu celal? Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helal... Hakkıdır, Hakk'a tapan, milletimin istiklal

Mehmet Akif Ersoy