Aziz Nesin was a Turkish humorist and author of more than 100 books. Nesin was born in 1915 on Heybeliada, one of the Princes' Islands of Istanbul, in the days of the Ottoman Empire. After serving as a career officer for several years, he became the editor of a series of satirical periodicals with a socialist slant. He was jailed several times and placed under surveillance by the National Security Service (MAH in Turkish) for his political views. Among the incriminating pieces of evidence they found against him during his military service was his theft and sale for 35 Lira of two goats intended for his company鈥攁 violation of clause 131/2 of the Military Penal Code. One 98-year-old former MAH officer named Ne艧et G眉ri艧 alleged that Nesin was in fact a MAH member, but this has been disputed
Nesin provided a strong indictment of the oppression and brutalization of the common man. He satirized bureaucracy and exposed economic inequities in stories that effectively combine local color and universal truths. Aziz Nesin has been presented with numerous awards in Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria and the former Soviet Union. His works have been translated into over thirty languages. During latter parts of his life he was said to be the only Turkish author who made a living only out of his earnings from his books.
On 6 June 1956, he married a coworker from the Akbaba magazine, Meral 脟elen.
In 1972, he founded the Nesin Foundation. The purpose of the Nesin Foundation is to take, each year, four poor and destitute children into the Foundation's home and provide every necessity - shelter, education and training, starting from elementary school - until they complete high school, a trade school, or until they acquire a vocation. Aziz Nesin has donated, gratis, to the Nesin Foundation his copyrights in their entirety for all his works in Turkey or other countries, including all of his published books, all plays to be staged, all copyrights for films, and all his works performed or used in radio or television.
Aziz Nesin was a political activist. After the 1980 military coup led by Kenan Evren, the intelligentsia was oppressed. Aziz Nesin led a number of intellectuals to take a stand against the military government, by issuing the Petition of Intellectuals (Turkish: Ayd谋nlar Dilek莽esi).
He championed free speech, especially the right to criticize Islam without compromise. In early 1990s he started a translation of Salman Rushdie's controversial novel, The Satanic Verses. This made him a target for radical Islamist organizations, who were gaining popularity throughout Turkey. On July 2, 1993 while attending a mostly Alevi cultural festival in the central Anatolian city of Sivas a mob organized by radical Islamists gathered around the Madimak Hotel, where the festival attendants were accommodated, calling for Sharia and death to infidels. After hours of siege, the mob set the hotel on fire. After flames engulfed several lower floors of the hotel, firetrucks managed to get close, and Aziz Nesin and many guests of the hotel escaped. However, 37 people were killed. This event, also known as the Sivas massacre, was seen as a major assault on free speech and human rights in Turkey, and it deepened the rift between religious- and secular-minded people.
He devoted his last years to fighting ignorance and religious fundamentalism.
Aziz Nesin died on July 6 1995 due to a heart attack, after a book signing event in 脟e艧me, 陌zmir. After his death, his body was buried in an unknown location in the land of Nesin Foundation without any ceremony, as suggested by his will.
鈥淏u kitab谋m谋n ilk bas谋m谋nda, nas谋l olup da 眉zerinden zaman ge莽ince en ac谋 ac谋lar谋n bile olgunla艧an yemi艧ler gibi tatland谋臒谋m谋 s枚yledi臒ime, bu an谋lar谋 yaz谋艧谋mdan 46 y谋l sonra 莽ok 艧a艧谋yorum. Ya艧ad谋臒谋m zamanki ac谋lardan daha b眉y眉k ac谋lar duyuyorum. Hi莽bir i艧e yaramad谋臒谋n谋 bilerek, o zamanki anlay谋艧s谋z, ta艧 kafal谋 y枚neticilere ilen莽ler ya臒d谋r谋yorum. Bunlar, ya艧ad谋臒谋m bunca ac谋dan bir k眉莽眉k demettir. O g眉nleri ya艧arken, hi莽 umutsuzlu臒a kap谋lmadan, kendime b眉y眉k g眉venle yar谋nlara bakt谋m. Bug眉n i莽in ve bug眉n眉n ko艧ullar谋nda 10 ay hapis ve 4 ay s眉rg眉n ya艧am谋 枚nemli say谋lmayabilir. Ama benim o zamanki ko艧ullarda, cebimdeki son 25 kuru艧la, Bursa鈥檇a kimsenin selam bile vermedi臒i, hi莽biryerde i艧 bulamayan bir adam olarak ge莽irdi臒im s眉rg眉n ya艧am谋, 艧imdi d眉艧眉n眉yorum da, bana dayan谋lmas谋 zor de臒il, olas谋l谋ks谋zm谋艧 gibi geliyor.
Bu an谋lar谋, kitab谋m谋n ilk bas谋m谋n谋n 枚ns枚z眉ndeki 艧u s枚zlerle bitiriyorum:
D眉艧眉nmek, sevmek, g眉lmek鈥� 陌艧te hepsi bu鈥� 陌nsan i莽in gerisi yalan dolan.鈥�(s.195)
Aziz Nesin'in bu 眉lkenin en de臒erli insan谋 oldu臒unu d眉艧眉n眉yorum. Bu ac谋 dolu an谋lar谋 okuyunca kendi 眉lkemden asla bir bok olmayaca臒谋n谋 ve insan谋n谋n da be艧 para etmez oldu臒unu bilmem ka莽谋nc谋 kere idrak ettim. Yine de Don Ki艧ot莽a da olsa m眉cadeleye devam etmeli. Aziz Nesin de 枚mr眉n眉n sonuna kadar farkl谋 bir 艧ey yapmam谋艧t谋 zaten.
Daha erken bitirdim ama girmeyi unutmu艧um. Adama 眉z眉ld眉m baya g眉n眉m眉z T眉rkiyesi de hala ayn谋 maalesef gazeteciler, bas谋n , do臒ruyu konu艧anlar hala susturulmaya devam ediliyor.
Kitab谋n bendeki versiyonu 1979 bas谋m谋. Ba艧谋nda, Aziz Nesin'in okurlar谋na k谋sa bir a莽谋klamas谋 bulunuyor. An谋lar谋n谋 anlatt谋臒谋 k谋s谋m bittikten sonra, neden Bursa'ya s眉rg眉n edildi臒ini anlatm谋艧 yazar. En son b枚l眉mde de kitap hakk谋nda 莽谋kan baz谋 ele艧tirilere yer verilmi艧. Nesin'in s眉rg眉n hat谋ralar谋 y眉z眉mde ac谋 bir tebess眉m b谋rakt谋. Paras谋zl谋k, yaln谋zl谋k, so臒uk k谋艧 g眉nleri, aile hasreti, etraf谋ndakilerin yazara bak谋艧 a莽谋s谋 vs. epey zorlam谋艧 kendisini. Ger莽i bu ac谋 hat谋ralar谋 anlat谋rken yine de g眉l眉msetmeyi ba艧arm谋艧. Fakat esas hissetti臒im duygu h眉z眉nd眉 tabi. Kitab谋n dikkatimi en 莽ok 莽eken yerlerinden biri s眉rg眉ne giden s眉reci anlatt谋臒谋 b枚l眉m oldu. Nesin'in Sabahattin Ali'yle Marko Pa艧a dergisinde beraber 莽al谋艧t谋臒谋n谋 bilmiyordum. Da臒arc谋臒谋ma yeni bir bilgi katt谋m.
Kitap Bursa s眉rg眉n眉ne dair an谋lar, o d枚nemde yaz谋lan mektuplar ve kitab谋n ilk bask谋lar谋na dair ele艧tiri yaz谋lar谋ndan olu艧uyor. Okurken okurunu sesli halde g眉ld眉ren kitaplar azd谋r ve bunu ba艧armas谋 kolay de臒ildir. Aziz Nesin bunu 莽ok kolay ba艧aranlardan. Bu memleketin tarihi i莽inde neler 莽ekti臒ini hem 眉z眉lerek hem de g眉lerek okutuyor. Bu 眉lkenin en b眉y眉k ma臒durlar谋ndan biri Aziz Nesin. Be艧 paras谋z ge莽en g眉nleri, buna ra臒men 莽evresine yapt谋臒谋 iyilik ve katk谋lar, onurlu ya艧am m眉cadelesi, hatta 莽ocuklara Kuran 枚臒retmesi, vb pek 莽ok ilgi 莽ekici an谋s谋 bu kitapta.
鈥淒眉艧眉nmek, sevmek, g眉lmek鈥� 陌艧te hepsi bu鈥� 陌nsan i莽in gerisi yalan dolan鈥� Birinci bas谋ma 枚ns枚z b枚yle bitiyor. Kitapta yaz谋lanlara bak谋nca bir yazar谋n 枚ns枚z眉 b枚yle tamamlamas谋 ne kadar de臒erli鈥�
T眉rkiye'de mizah yaz谋n谋 denince akla gelen ilk yazar 艧眉phesiz Aziz Nesin. Nesin, romanlar谋nda, 枚yk眉lerinde T眉rkiye'yi g眉ld眉r眉rken, kendi ya艧am谋 zul眉mler, bask谋lar, tehditler, hapisler, s眉rg眉nler, 枚ld眉rme giri艧imleriyle dolu.
"Bir S眉rg眉n眉n An谋lar谋" Aziz Nesin'in 1948 y谋l谋nda, Marko Pa艧a dergisini yay谋nlarken kaleme ald谋臒谋 ve Truman Doktrinini, modern emperyalizmin t眉rkiye鈥檡e giri艧i olarak yorumlayan ve mizah d谋艧谋 bir manifesto olan 鈥淣ereye Gidiyoruz鈥� bro艧眉r眉 y眉z眉nden tutuklan谋p, 枚nce hapis ard谋ndan da s眉rg眉n cezas谋 almas谋 sonras谋n谋 anlat谋yor. Bursa'ya jandarma nezaretinde, elleri kelep莽eli olarak g枚nderilen Aziz Nesin, Bursa'da ya艧ad谋臒谋 traji komik olaylar谋 birbiri ard谋na 莽ok 莽arp谋c谋 olarak anlat谋yor okuruna.
Asl谋nda sadece Bursa'da ya艧ad谋klar谋 de臒il, 枚ncesi de trajikomik... Aziz Nesin'in hapis ve s眉rg眉n ile cezaland谋r谋lmas谋na yol a莽an "Nereye Gidiyoruz" bro艧眉r眉n眉n sadece 枚n y眉z眉n眉n bas谋lm谋艧 oldu臒u s谋rada yani arka y眉z眉 daha bas谋m a艧amas谋nda matbaadan polis taraf谋ndan toplat谋ld谋臒谋... Ceza Yasas谋ndaki ilgili maddenin propaganday谋 i莽erdi臒i i莽in daha bas谋m谋 tamamlanmam谋艧 ve dolay谋s谋yla da臒谋t谋lmam谋艧 bro艧眉r眉n birileri taraf谋ndan okunmas谋 gerekti臒ini farkedince dizgicinin ve matbaa sahibinin okudu臒u s枚ylenerek mahkemenin cezaya h眉kmetmesi...
Kitab谋n ilk bas谋m谋 1957'de yap谋lm谋艧. Aziz Nesin'in 陌talya'dan iki sene 眉st 眉ste 枚d眉l ald谋臒谋 ve T眉rkiye'de ismini kullanmas谋na izin verildi臒i d枚nemde yani. Aziz Nesin ilk bask谋n谋n 枚ns枚z眉nde "ac谋 olaylar 眉zerinden zaman ge莽ince unutuluyor, g眉l眉msetiyor" diye yazm谋艧 ama ard谋ndan y谋llar ge莽ince "neden b枚yle yazd谋m" diye de hay谋flanm谋艧. Kitab谋n yeni bask谋lar谋nda "hi莽 de g眉l眉msemiyorum y谋llar ge莽tik莽e" diye yazma ihtiyac谋 hissetmi艧.
Kitap sadece Aziz Nesin'in okurlar谋 i莽in de臒il, Bas谋n Tarihi hatta T眉rkiye Tarihi ile ilgilinen herkes i莽in olduk莽a 枚nemli i莽eriklere de sahip.