Gan Udjel
TurkeyDjan Yücel: A Renowned Turkish Poet, Journalist, and Translator
Djan Yücel (Turkish: Can Yücel), also known as Papa Djan, was one of the most prominent poets of 20th-century Turkey. His lyrical language was sharp and straightforward, often incorporating profanity. Born in Istanbul in 1926, Yücel's father, Hasan Ali Yücel, served as Turkey's Minister of Education from 1938 to 1946. During his tenure, Hasan Ali Yücel implemented significant reforms in the education system and founded the first schools, known as "rural institutes," in villages, which became the cornerstone of educational development in rural areas.
Due to his father's appointment as minister, Djan Yücel, at the age of 10, moved with his family to Ankara. It was at this young age that he began writing his first poems. Djan Yücel adored his father, but due to his father's busy schedule, he rarely spent time at home. As a result, Djan Yücel had to love his father from a distance. He later revealed that he could only capture his father's love when he fell ill. Whenever the children fell sick, his father would come to be by their side. The poet never ceased to admire his father's energy, strength of character, and idealism. His love for his father would later manifest in his warm and heartfelt verses.
Djan Yücel enrolled at Ankara University, where he studied the Latin and Greek languages, focusing on the prestigious Faculty of Language and History. He developed a fondness for left-wing Marxist ideology during his university years. However, his political interests did not sit well with his father, who sent him to London, where the young poet joined the University of Cambridge. There, he met the renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell, who became his lecturer. However, London did not captivate the young poet, and he confessed to his father that his knowledge of Latin was insufficient to meet Cambridge's requirements. Consequently, Djan Yücel relocated to Paris to pursue his studies. France captivated him, and he formed friendships with many future Turkish artists, including Bedri Rahmi, Avni Arbaş, and Sadi Çalık. Due to financial constraints, he had to work as a street vendor in France.
Even during his student years, Djan Yücel's works began to appear in Turkish essays and newspapers. In 1953, he returned to Turkey, where he was drafted into the army and sent to the Korean War. Upon his return to Turkey, he started working as a translator and soon got married. Together with his wife Güler, they decided to move to London. Güler gladly agreed to go to England, as she planned to develop her talents as a budding artist. However, she also honed her skills as a mother. In England, they had three children: two daughters, Güzel and Su, and a son, Hasan. The family spent five years in England.
Djan Yücel worked as a translator at various embassies and the Turkish branch of the BBC radio channel. In January 1963, the great Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet passed away. Djan deeply mourned the death of the revolutionary poet and, together with friends, drank excessively. Due to his intoxication, he was unable to go to work, and as a result, the news of the poet's death did not air on BBC. His employers assumed that Djan Yücel was protesting the poet's death and subsequently fired him. Following the loss of his job, Yücel returned to Turkey and worked in a tourist agency in the city of Marmaris, while his wife taught at Marmaris University. Later, they moved to Bodrum. Subsequently, they relocated to Istanbul, where the poet began working for the newspaper "New Morning" and delved deeper into his translation work. As he developed strong political views, he became a member of the Turkish Workers' Party. However, following the military coup on March 12, 1971, the new government forces shut down the Turkish Workers' Party. Like thousands of Turkish intellectuals, Djan Yücel was accused of opposing the state's policies. He was sentenced to seven and a half years of imprisonment for translating books about the lives of Che Guevara, Mao Zedong, and an American general. In prison, he was accompanied by numerous representatives of the Turkish intelligentsia, including writers, poets, and journalists who were accused of resisting the government's policies. In 1974, due to an amnesty, he was released. He wrote extensively during his time in prison and continued his creative work afterward. Many of his books were published during this period.
Djan Yücel dedicated his poetry to open, honest, determined, and audacious individuals, events, life, and ideas. His words were simple but cutting. In one interview, when describing himself to a journalist, he recounted the story of his parents' encounter. His mother took a long time to prepare for their first date. Her family was very poor, and her older sister owned the most beautiful dress. The mother wanted to wear that dress on the date but, since it was too big, she had to pin it with needles directly on her young self. On their first date, after a long conversation, feeling intense emotions for his future wife, the father tried to embrace and kiss her tightly. It was at that moment that one of the pins came undone and pricked him painfully. On that day, the love of two young hearts was born, and, according to Djan Yücel, he was also born, like a sharp needle.
Using profane language in his poetry only heightened the sharpness of his words. However, many critics agree that the simplicity and often crude language amplify the brightness and significance of his verses. They frequently intensify the impact of his irony and sarcasm.
Djan Yücel also engaged in translating the works of great poets and writers from around the world. He is credited with remarkable translations of Shakespeare, American-British poet, playwright, and literary critic T.S. Eliot, English poet, playwright, and journalist Dylan Thomas, Spanish socialist, poet, and playwright Federico García Lorca, and German communist, poet, novelist, and playwright Bertolt Brecht.
