Mehmet Akif Ersoy | |
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 Ersoy in the 1930s | |
| Born | Mehmed Ragîf 20 December 1873 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire[1] |
| Died | 27 December 1936 (aged 63) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Occupation | Poet, author and politician |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Literary movement | The republican era |
| Notable works | Safahat, İstiklâl Marşı |
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Mehmet Akif Ersoy (20 December 1873 – 27 December 1936) was a Turkish poet, writer, academic, politician, and the author of the Turkish National Anthem. Widely regarded as one of the premiere literary minds of his time, Ersoy is noted for his command of the Turkish language, as well as his patriotism and role in the Turkish War of Independence.
A framed version of the national anthem by Ersoy typically occupies the wall above the blackboard in the classrooms of every public as well as most private schools around Turkey, along with a Turkish flag, a photograph of the country's founding father Atatürk, and a copy of Atatürk's speech to the nation's youth.
- ^ Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream, (Basic Books, 2005), 57; "Istanbul was only adopted as the city's official name in 1930..".