Literature
TURKEY
Bülent Ecevit, President of Turkey
By Elif
American Robert College, one of the most
prestigious high schools in Istanbul, was
successful in these literary endeavors
despite never having graduated from a
university, a fact that also prevented him
from ever running for the Presidency of
the Turkish Republic.
He was born (1925) in Istanbul to a
middle-class family, Ecevit’s father was
Ahmet Fahri Ecevit who was was a
professor of forensic medicine at Ankara
University. Later Ahmet Fahri started his
political life as a CHP (The Republican
People’s Party)
deputy between 1943
and 1950.
Bülent Ecevit was not only a politician but
also a poet and a writer. He translated
works by Rabindranath Tagore, T. S. Eliot,
and Bernard Lewis into Turkish. He also
translated the great ancient Sanskrit
poem, Bhagvad Gita, into Turkish
language. Ecevit, who also studied at the
He was married but they never had a
child. His wife is stil alive. Bülent Ecevit
was a deputy of my city,Zonguldak. His
funeral (2006) was very crowded because
he was a beloved person. He is known for
his honesty.