Nâzım Hikmet, the world-famous poet and member of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), was commemorated in İstanbul on June 3 at an event dedicated to his 55th death anniversary.
Thousands of people attended the ceremony organized by the Nâzım Hikmet Cultural Centre, the cultural branch of the TKP, at a public park amphitheatre in İstanbul’s Göztepe district.
Journalist Enver Aysever anchored the live event, several musicians, poets and theatre artists took to the stage amidst a joyous ovation and interactive participation of the audience towards live performances.
NÂZIM HİKMET, THE LIFELONG COMMUNIST
“Your humanity will enlighten this darkness,” as theatre artist Levent Üzümcü addressed the audience, Enver Aysever underlined that Nâzım Hikmet had been a communist throughout his entire life. “We’re living through such terrific days that today our artists are detained, exposed to torture at the hands of the enemies of enlightenment,” Aysever noted.
Pianist Dengin Ceyhan appeared at the stage for a live recital, including a famous song composed from a popular poem by Nâzım Hikmet. As the audience escorted the piano performance, Ceyhan said, “I hope there will be no dictators, no femicide around the world when we meet next time.”
Following dance performances, two workers appeared in the name of the resisting Flormar workers who had been fired for membership to a trade union. The cosmetics workers announced that they would continue to resist until they could get their job back as the audience applauded the workers and chanted slogans.
Presenter Aysever invited Aydemir Güler, the independent communist candidate for parliamentary elections in İstanbul, to deliver his speech on behalf of the TKP, the lifelong party of Nâzım Hikmet.
Starting his speech with Hikmet’s poem dedicated to the TKP, Güler said, “I’m saluting you in the name of Nâzım’s party, of our cultural centre, which is named after him, organizing this commemoration event,” calling on the friends of Nâzım Hikmet to support and vote for the independent candidates from ‘This Social Order Must Change’ Platform.
The platform was established following the call of the TKP after Turkey’s electoral council (YSK) unlawfully prevented the party from participating the elections on June 24.
‘SALUTE TO THOSE WHO DEFEND MARXISM-LENINISM’
Following Güler’s speech, musicians and artists presented a live poetry performance as Turkish poet Nihat Behram greeted the audience. “Salute to those who defend Marxism-Leninism. Salute to those who don’t sacrifice their ideology for tiny accounts,” he said.
All the artists chanted a renown song and poem by Nâzım Hikmet at the end of the event amid applauses and slogans, “Factories, lands, the political power; everything will belong to labour!”
