This month's guest speaker at the "Ömür Ceylan and Alev Alatlı: Texts That Guide Us" program, held at the Istanbul campus of Cappadocia University, was Prof. Dr. Mehmet Samsakçı, a faculty member at Istanbul University's Faculty of Letters and Director of the Yahya Kemal Institute. The program addressed the "Texts That Guide Us" project, initiated by our founder Alev Alatlı, and its significance in Turkish literature.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Samsakçı stated that the seven-volume "Texts That Guide Us" anthology covers a period of 1,250 years, from the Orkhon Inscriptions to 2020. He emphasized that this work, which includes 2,385 texts selected from nearly 9,000, is the most comprehensive anthology reflecting the thematic richness of the Turkish language.

The program highlighted our founder Alev Alatlı's concept of "social aphasia." It was stated that societies can experience a kind of amnesia when words lose their meaning, and that this anthology aims to reconnect with the past. Prof. Dr. Samsakçı stated that the texts written by our founder, Alev Alatlı, not only with her literary knowledge but also with her social sensitivity and historical awareness, not only establish connections with the past but also shed light on today's social and cultural issues. In this respect, she stated that our founder Alev Alatlı's works are a valuable resource that refreshes and deepens society's memory and creates new layers of meaning.

Samsakçı noted that our founder Alev Alatlı also placed special emphasis on economic texts in the anthology. He explained that Alatlı emphasized the decisive influence of a society's conditions of prosperity and deprivation on culture, and therefore included the perspectives of economists. He stated that this approach demonstrates that the anthology is a comprehensive work that combines both material and spiritual values.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Samsakçı explained that the texts in the New Turkish Literature section, spanning from the 1850s to 2020, began with Sadullah Pasha's poem "The 19th Century." He explained that literature, based on Yahya Kemal's article "Three Hills," was established in Çamlıca during the Tanzimat period, Tepebaşı during the Servet-i Fünun period, and then in Anatolia-centered Metristepe. Samsakçı praised Yahya Kemal's approach, which combined individual and social sensitivities with aesthetics.

At the end of the program, our founder, Alev Alatlı, was acknowledged with profound gratitude and respect. Her significant contributions to Turkish culture and the world of thought, not only through her works but also through visionary projects such as Cappadocia University, were once again emphasized. Her outstanding organizational skills, which brought together numerous distinguished figures in the academic world and implemented important projects where ideas converged and were carried forward, were praised. Our founder Alev Alatlı's dedicated efforts continue to shed light on the development of Turkish literature and culture.

The “Texts That Guide Us” program will continue with a new guest next month.