Poet, writer and intellectual Sezai Karakoç was commemorated at the program organized with the joint efforts of Sarajevo Yunus Emre Institute (YEI), Republic of Turkey Embassy to Sarajevo Consul of Education and Turkish Airlines (THY) Sarajevo Office.

Turkish poet and writer Şaban Abak, Prof. Amina Siljak Jesenkovic, member of faculty at University of Sarajevo Oriental Studies Institute, Turcology students and many participants were present at the program.

“TO UNDERSTAND KARAKOÇ, ONE MUST READ HIS WORKS”

Writer Şaban Abak and Prof. Amina Siljak Jesenkovic made speeches at the program, held at Sarajevo Yunus Emre Institute. In his speech, Abak mentioned to the participants the ideas Karakoç defended in his thoughts.

Abak remarked: “Sezai Karakoç defended the idea that all the cities of the Islamic world belonged to all Muslim people. He believed that ‘Just like Mecca and Medina; Sarajevo, Bukhara, Samarkand and Jerusalem belonged to all Muslim people.’”

Expressing that it is impossible to understand Karakoç from the outside, Abak stated: “To understand Karakoç, one must read his works. That is the only way to know the real Karakoç.

Bosnian Prof. Almina Siljak Jesenkovic expressed that she was pleased to know Sezai Karakoç and stated:

“In 1991, I translated the poem ‘The City of Jerusalem’ by Sezai Karakoç into Bosnian and it was published in the magazine Preporod. At a time when the Bosnian War was starting, I was in Turkey and my fiancé came to visit me in Turkey. He brought the magazine with him. Right away, I went to visit Sezai Karakoç with the magazine. That way, I had the honor of meeting him.”

The commemoration program attracted great attention and ended with the students of International University of Sarajevo, University of Sarajevo and University of Zenica Department of Turcology reading Sezai Karakoç's poems.

Poet, writer and intellectual Sezai Karakoç passed away on 16 November 2021, leaving great marks in the Turkish world of thought.