Ali Nesim, one of the important poets and writers of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who also served as an academician at the Near East University for a long time, was commemorated at his grave in the ninth year of his death. A panel was also held at the University of Kyrenia to commemorate Ali Nesim.

The ceremony held at the grave of Nesim was attended by his family, Mayor of Kyrenia Murat Şenkul, President of the Cyprus Turkish Writers Union Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur, academicians, students and fans. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Şenkul stated that Ali Nesim is one of the rare personalities who achieved immortality with his works in this world and emphasized that they will continue to do everything they can for culture and art through the path he opened.

After the commemoration ceremony at his grave, the commemoration program and the panel held at Prof. Dr. İlkay Salihoğlu Republic Hall where the Rector of University of Kyrenia, Prof. Dr. İlkay Salihoğlu, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gökmen Dağlı, former mayor of Kyrenia Municipality Nidai Güngördü, faculty members, family, fans and students attended.

A memorial program was held at the University of Kyrenia
The commemoration program, hosted by Hazal Al, a student of the Near East University Turkish Language Teaching Department, started with the opening speech of Ali Nesim’s son Tayfun Nesim, after the National Anthem and a moment of silence. Tayfun Nesim, who thanked everyone who participated in the program, stated that he was always remembered thanks to the works left by his father, and emphasized that he would continue to be remembered thanks to those who loved him.

Nidai Güngördü, the Former Mayor of Kyrenia Municipality, who spoke at the program, stated that Ali Nesim has accomplished very important works and stated that one of these important works is the Olive Orchard Festival, which is held every year. The program then continued with an essay titled “Being Human” read by Irmak Kuzukesen, a student of the Department of Turkish Language Teaching. Then again, Turkish Education Department students Hilal Kaçmaz, Mustafa Kerim Tarlacı and Yekda Umut Kösen read the poems written by Ali Nesim.

Literary and human aspects of Ali Nesim were conveyed in the organized panel.
After the commemoration program, the panel of which the chair of the session was Near East University Atatürk Education Faculty Turkish Language Teaching Department Head Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır was carried out. In the panel, Near East University Faculty of Arts and Sciences lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut evaluated Ali Nesim’s poems and underlined Nesim’s sensitivity towards olive trees. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökbulut, in the continuation of his speech, stated that he wrote the verse stories of Ali Nesim in a style close to prose and that he did not prefer to use many elements of poetry (rhyme, redif, sound repetitions).

Participating in the panel as a speaker, President Ersin Tatar’s Private Secretary Dr. Çağın Zort, on the other hand, emphasized that he and Ali Nesim worked together for a while and that Nesim was a helpful person full of human love.

President of the Cyprus Turkish Writers Union Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur also stated that Ali Nesim, who has an important place in Turkish Cypriot culture, describes the island of Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots in his works. Prof. Dr. Öznur said, “Ali Nesim, who is an interpreter of the feelings and thoughts of the Turkish Cypriots with his works, illuminates many issues that remained in the dark regarding Cyprus in his research.”