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Hüseyin Nihal Atsız (Atsız), was born on 12 January 1905 in Istanbul
Kadıköy. His father is a navy officer Nail Bey, and his mother is Zehra Hanim.
He completed his primary education in various schools in Kadıköy, and his
secondary education in Kadıköy and Istanbul Sultanis. Then he was enrolled in a military
school.
Atsız was dismissed from Military Medicine School on 4 March 1925 when he
was in third class, because he did not greet intentionally and unnecessarily a lieutenant
named Mesut Süreyya Effendi, of Arabic origin from Baghdad, with whom he had some
problems.
Atsız worked as an assistant instructor in Kabataş High School for about
three months after this event, and then as a clerk assistant in the steamship of Maritime
Lines named Mahmut Şevket Paşa and had a few voyages between Istanbul and Mersin.
In 1926, he was enrolled with “Department of Literature” and High
Institute of Instructors, the boarding school of Istanbul University, and was called out
to perform his military service one week later. Atsız performed his military service in
Istanbul Taşkışla at 5th Infantrymen Regiment for 9 months between 28 October 1926 and
28 July 1927, his postponement request being rejected.
Atsız drew attention of his teacher, M. Fuad Köprülü, upon publishing
of his article named Anadolu' da Türklere Ait Yer İsimleri (Names of Places belonging to
Turks in Anatolia) in the second volume of Türkiyat Mecmuası, which he prepared
together with his friend named Ahmet Naci. He did his graduation study on the divan of
Nazmi from Edirne in 1930 (Divân-ı Türkî-i Basit, Gramer ve Lügati, 1930, 111 s.
Türkiyat Enstitüsü Mezuniyet Tezi, no 82). He graduated from the Faculty of Letters in
the same year.
We can count Tahsin Banguoğlu, Ziya Karamuk, Orhan Şaik Gökyay, Pertev
Nâilî Boratav, Nihad Sâmi Banarlı etc. among the classmates of Atsız.
After his graduation, Prof. M. Fuad Köprülü, his teacher and the Dean of
Faculty of Letters, applied to the Ministry of Education for Atsız and provided his being
exempt from the 8-year obligatory service in high schools because of his completing High
Institute of Instructors and admitted him as his Assistant on 25 January 1931.
Atsız married to his first spouse, who graduated from the Philosophy
department of Istanbul University, in 1931, but got divorced in 1935.
Atsız started to publish the Atsız Mecmua (17 edition) as from 15 May
1931 to 25 September 1932. This “pro-Turk and pro-Villager” magazine taking part in
publication field with a staff consisting of literature and history scientists including
M. Fuad Köprülü, Zeki V. Togan, Abdulkadir İnan opened a new and effective Turkist era
in idea and art field, and even pioneered Turkism in Republic period.
Atsız started to publish his first articles introducing himself under his
signature as (H. Nihal), and his stories under (Y.D.) name in this magazine.
During the First Turkish History Congress gathered in Ankara in 1932 July,
upon the unjust assault by Dr. Reşid Galip on Prof. Zeki Velidi Togan sent a telegram of
protest saying “we are proud of being students of Zeki Velidi”, together with 8 of his
friends including his second wife Bedriye (Atsız) and Pertev Naili Boratav to that
congress, and was noted upon this telegram.
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