Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality marked the anniversary of the death of poet Arjen Arî through a series of events.
The “Arjen Arî Poetry Competition”, organised annually by Sor Publishing House and the family of Kurdish writer Arjen Arî, was held this year in partnership with and hosted by the Municipality’s Department of Culture and Social Affairs.
Held at the Çand Amed Culture and Congress Centre, the events drew strong interest from veteran contributors to Kurdish literature in the city, as well as Arjen Arî’s friends, family and many residents.
On the first day, a poetry workshop led throughout the day by Şehmus Kurt was held. The programme continued the following day with the opening of an exhibition.
‘Young people are keeping Arî’s legacy alive’
In her opening remarks at the exhibition, Zeynep Yaş, Head of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs, recalled that Arjen Arî looked to the future with hope, and said:
“Arî is here with us today—among us in this exhibition—through his ideas. Our young people are embracing his thought and stance by reading Arjen Arî’s poems and stories. Through the works he produced, Arjen Arî has entered the dream-world of young people. Although Arî is not physically with us today, his ideas and works live on in the hearts and minds of young people, and with us.”
Following the exhibition, an award ceremony was held, hosted by Zeynep Sultan Atlı and Armanc Dayan. The programme also included a video presentation featuring reflections from Arjen Arî’s friends on his life.
Awards Presented
This year’s Arjen Arî Poetry Competition—held to uphold the Kurdish language and literature to which Arjen Arî dedicated his life, as well as the universal values of art—concluded with the presentation of awards. Following an assessment focusing on content, form and language, the award was granted to Mehmet Çalışci for his submission titled “Ne Şîn e, Belkî Hinek Gewr”. After receiving the award, Çalışci read his poem and expressed his thanks.
The Arjen Arî Honour Award was presented to Kardeş Türküler, in recognition of the ensemble’s contributions—since its establishment in 1993—to mother-tongue culture and, in particular, to the Kurdish language, and for amplifying through music the hope of peace and fraternity among peoples. Accepting the award on behalf of the group, Vedat Yıldırım said: “It is deeply meaningful for us to receive the Arjen Arî Honour Award—named after Arjen Arî, the resistant voice of Kurdish poetry,” adding: “We know that the Kurdish people have embraced Kardeş Türküler for years. That makes us very proud. We know and feel that Arjen’s soul is at peace.”
During the ceremony, plaques were also presented to workshop and exhibition participants by Zeynep Yaş, Head of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs.
Following the award ceremony, a panel discussion titled “What Does Arjen Arî Tell Us?” was held, moderated by Rêzan Diljen, with Sidîq Gorîcan, Dr Roger Acun and Rêdûr Dîjle Aydın as speakers. The panel explored Arî’s emotional world and his poetry.
The programme concluded with a concert by Kardeş Türküler and Agit Işık.
