Metin Altıok

Metin Altıok (March 14, 1940 – July 9, 1993) was a Turkish poet of Alevi faith, who - together with 34 other people, mostly Alevi intellectuals - fell victim to the 1993 Sivas massacre.

Life

Metin Altıok was born in Bergama, İzmir Province, Turkey.

Metin Altıok studied philosophy at Ankara University. After graduating he went on working first as a civil servant and subsequently as a teacher.

He held teaching posts in various Anatolian cities, and taught for several years at the religious İmam Hatip school in the city of Bingöl.

Altıok published his first collection of poems, Gezgin ("Gadding about"), in 1976, which was followed two years later by Yerleşik yabancı ("Settled stranger") and eight additional collections until 1992. His works were awarded several literary prizes. In addition to his literary achievements, he engaged in drawing with pen and charcoal.

On 2 July 1993 he was killed while attending a cultural festival in the central Turkish city of Sivas, when a group of radical Salafists set fire to the hotel in which the festival was held.

In 2003, the prominent Turkish composer Fazıl Say devoted an oratorio (Requiem for Metin Altıok) to Altıok, who was a friend of Say.

Bibliography

• 1976: Gezgin
• 1978: Yerleşik yabancı
• 1981: Küçük tragedyalar
• 1987: İpek ve klabtan
• 1990: Dörtlükler ve desenler
• 1991: Süveyda
• 1992: Alaturka şiirleri
• 1992: Şiirin ilk atlası
• 1993: Hesap işi şiirler
• 1998: Bir acıya kiracı

Literary awards

• 1979: Ahmet Telli Poetry Prize
• 1990: Cemal Süreya Poetry Prize