Sabahattin Ali, who has a deep impact on me as a human being; is a very outstanding writer of the Turkish Literature not only with his essays and novels but also with his short and intellectually fortunate life story.
His being slaughtered at the age of forty-one, at the peak of his maturity as a writer has eventually caused the lack of his possible additional contribution to literature as a whole and this tragic event has been effecting me adversely for quite some time now...
This documentary tragedy is an offspring of my unceasing ideal of writing a play taking the life story of Sabahattin Ali as a starting point. Eventually with this documentary tragedy that you are reading or watching right now, my ideal proved being a goal that has been attained.
What really makes a hero of tragedy unique is its being universal rather than being domestic, just the way Sabahattin Ali is. At the heart of a social environment where strick and rigid rules are dominant; he boldly and bravely entered a war with the preemminents/Gods and eventually he was defeated, again similar to tragedies. This defeat although seemed like a glory for the preemminents at the beginning, proved being just the opposite on the long term and time declared Sabahattin Ali glorious. On the long run no one could stop the artist/writer being victorious because the dominants could not terminate his being remembered and continue his life on a different level. This is to certify that; when a writer starts a war with the dominants of the era and even loses it for some known reasons he cen easily attain the immortality he deserves with the help of the permanent works of art he has produced.
I have started a long survey in order to take advantage of every fraction of knowledge, documents and memories about him hidden in newspapers, periodicals, books and in the minds of people knowing him and the era. Thanks to every bit of phrase written on him by Kemal Sülker, Filiz Ali-Atilla Özkırımlı, Reşit M. Ertüzün, Nihal Atsız, Asım Bezirci and especially Kemal Bayram which helped me to pass the message " Writers' are not demolishable!" through the "Sabahattin Ali" Documentary Tragedy.
This, however is not a mere dramatically woven play but something trespassing it, as I name it : "an essay in which the dramatical path is improved by help of narration and testimonies; although sounding a bit weird, a quest of truth about Sabahattin Ali at a virtual trial room with the help of witnesses."
All poems in the play belong to Sabahattin Ali except for "Requem for Sabahattin Ali" and "Vengeance" and four lines added to a folk song which are humbly my contribution. Especially as very well known to the society "Aldırma Gönül Aldırma" and "Hapishane Türküsü" are masterpieces of the artist.
I am really feeling great nowadays in the sense of fulfilling my duty on transmitting such merits to following generations. It is a privilage to feel satisfied on the duty of fulfilling the necessary deeds for one's self on being righteous to Sabahattin Ali.
After all what a writer is for God's sake? Just an impudent human being, who lives and experiences high altitudes of enthusiasm to construct a whole new world for the very reason of giving innumerable struggles to let others' be aware of their world and accept it if it ever happens...
Tuncer CÜCENOĞLU
