Turkey

İstiklâl Marşı

Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak;
Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak.
O benim milletimin yıldızıdır, parlayacak;
O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak.

Çatma, kurban olayım, çehreni ey nazlı hilâl!
Kahraman ırkıma bir gül! Ne bu şiddet, bu celâl?
Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helâl;
Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklâl.

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English Translation

The Independence March

Fear not! For the crimson flag that proudly waves in these dawns shall never fade,
Before the last hearth that is ablaze within my homeland is extinguished.
That is the star of my nation, and it will forever shine;
It is mine; it belongs solely to my nation.

Do not frown, I beseech you, O graceful crescent!
Smile upon my heroic nation - why this anger, this rage?
The blood we shed for you will not be rightful otherwise;
For my nation that worships God, independence is its right.

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The lyrics were written in 1921 by Mehmet Âkif Ersoy, during Turkey’s fight for independence.

It became the national anthem in 1921, before the Republic of Turkey was officially founded in 1923.

The full anthem has 10 verses, but typically only the first two are sung.