Lyrics by: M.Akif Ersoy Music composed by:
Zeki Üngör
The "İstiklal Marşı" (“The
Independence Hymn”) was officially
adopted as Turkey's National Anthem
on March 12, 1921. 724 poems were submitted
to a competition organized to find and
select the most suitable original composition
for this March, and a poem written by
the poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy was adopted
unanimously by the Turkish Grand National
Assembly. Twenty-four composers participated
in another competition arranged for
the selection of a musical composition
for the National Anthem. The Council,
which was only able to convene in 1924,
due to the War of Independence adopted
the music composed by Ali Rıfat Çağatay.
The words of the National Anthem were
sung to this music for eight years.
Thereafter, the music of the National
Anthem was changed to an arrangement
written by Zeki Üngör, conductor
of the Presidential Symphonic Orchestra,
and the words of the National Anthem
have been sung to this musical accompaniment
ever since.
