The opening of the "'One Hundred New Authors for the New Century of Our Literature' Project", which aims to discover young talents who can shed light on the future of Turkish literature and transfer national and spiritual values to new generations, has been held. Within the scope of the project, an "I Am a Writer" portal will be created. Students will upload "Family" themed stories to the portal.
During the program where model and presenter Tuğba Özay read poems by her father, poet and writer İlhan Özay, an interview titled "Being a Conscious Young Person" was also held with Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, advising students to 'write for 10 minutes every day, but write continuously,' said, "Use artificial intelligence extensively here. We should aim to surpass artificial intelligence and produce new material for it. In human history, the printing press was a turning point. Electricity was a turning point. Artificial intelligence will also be a turning point. Therefore, become masters of artificial intelligence. Don't let the digital world use you; you use the digital world, use it for your goals. If you do that, the digital world will take you to your goals."
With the project to be carried out in cooperation with Üsküdar Üniversitesi, the Black Sea Confederation of Civil Society Organizations (KASTOB), and ÇATKON-Tekirdağ Federation, it is aimed to discover young talents who can shed light on the future of Turkish literature. The opening of the "'One Hundred New Authors for the New Century of Our Literature' Project", which aims to transfer national and spiritual values to new generations, was held at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Central Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall.
The project, which aims to lay the foundation for new works by offering literary guidance to young aspiring writers, is supported by the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations of the Ministry of Interior. The opening speeches of the program, held with the participation of prominent figures from the world of Art, Literature, Culture, and Politics, were delivered by Nevzat Duyar, President of the Black Sea Confederation of Civil Society Organizations (KASTOB); Dr. Nebiye Yaşar, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Project Development Coordinator and Director of the Young Brains Academy Application and Research Center; and Yüksel Arslan, KASTOB Secretary General, Thrace Regional President, and Project Coordinator.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "A person afraid of criticism cannot be a writer"
An interview titled "Being a Conscious Young Person" was held, moderated by journalist Şaban Özdemir, with the participation of Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Üsküdar Üniversitesi. In the program, which was also broadcast live on ÜÜ TV and Üsküdar Üniversitesi's YouTube channel, Tarhan stated that a project capable of nurturing future Sezai Karakoçs and Necip Fazıls has begun, adding that writing is not just about talent, but also requires extensive reading and hard work.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "To be a writer, intellectual struggle and effort are required. Patience is very important. Being open to criticism and not being afraid of it is crucial. A person afraid of criticism cannot be a writer. They should see criticism as a gift. Criticism may not please you, but if it's constructive, it contributes to the individual." He advised students, 'Write for 10 minutes every day, but write continuously. If you do this, after a while, mental associations and emotional associations begin.'
Not professional ego satisfaction, but a societal need should be aimed for…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan advised young people to aim for a societal need rather than focusing on satisfying their own professional egos, saying, "If you ponder on resolving a societal benefit or need, and think, 'I must find a solution to this problem in society,' then your talent or efforts will align with this need in society. When this alignment occurs, a lasting work emerges. Smart investors, too, don't chase money, but rather chase needs. Have goals. This means being a conscious young person."
"Comfort-seeking is one of the significant health problems brought by modernism"
Pointing out that young people are afflicted with the 'comfort disease,' Prof. Dr. Tarhan continued:
"The disease of comfort, or in other words, the disease of comfort-seeking, is one of the significant health problems brought by modern life. Psychiatric and physical disorders related to comfort-seeking have been identified. The first of these physical disorders is obesity. Obesity is a common illness among individuals who are overly fond of comfort. Currently, there are 1 billion obese people in the world, while 2 billion people in Africa lack access to clean water. In the obesity ranking, America is first, Saudi Arabia is second, and Turkey is third. This situation indicates that Turkey is under the influence of modernism and wild capitalism. The second physical disorder consists of diseases caused by lack of movement. Cardiovascular diseases, rheumatic problems, and other ailments resulting from insufficient physical exercise fall into this group. Experts recommend taking at least 5,000 steps a day to prevent these problems."
"True victory is won against inner laziness"
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that comfort-seeking creates indolence and laziness in individuals, hindering physical activity, and stated, "The real problem underlying comfort-seeking is the individual's inner laziness and procrastination. True victory is not about defeating others, but the victory gained against the laziness within oneself."
Emphasizing that another consequence of comfort-seeking is loneliness, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "This situation leads to problems in marriage and relationships. Comfort-seeking individuals usually avoid putting in effort, saying, 'I am important, others are not important. My comfort is more important.' They make no sacrifices for their children or for others; in fact, a type of person emerges who does not even bother for their own life. Another consequence of comfort-seeking is unhappiness."
Choose a more conscious learning path instead of trial and error
Referring to Ali Fuat Başgil's book "Gençlerle Baş Başa" (One-on-One with Youth), Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that this book gave him the opportunity to reflect on learning methods and that he believes there are three different learning methods: "Firstly, learning through trial and error. However, a human lifespan is not enough to learn everything through trial and error. Secondly, a smart person learns from the mistakes of others and eliminates the possibility of making the same mistakes. Thirdly, some constantly make the same mistake and cannot learn. Humans should prefer a more conscious learning path instead of trial and error."
Projects require effort and patience
Stating that project work requires effort and patience, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "One should not be afraid of mistakes, criticism, or obstacles. If a task is difficult, it can be done; if it's impossible, a way out can be found. Therefore, we should not give up by saying it's impossible. We need to find a way out."
Answering questions from the participants, Tarhan stated that instead of a rote learning and test-focused education system, a project-oriented education system is now being transitioned to. Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "In this new model, students are given projects in the classroom, these projects are discussed, and students form groups to work together. All lessons are conducted this way, with active participation and collaboration. We must take new steps without giving up and find new ways out. This project is also an inevitable and valuable step to increase the quality of education."
Become a master of artificial intelligence!
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that when setting goals, one must always base them on a logical foundation, saying, "A person who combines idealism, realism, and activism can successfully manage their goals and draw an effective roadmap to achieve them."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, also explaining that writing is not merely about putting thoughts on paper or conveying emotions, concluded his words as follows:
"Use artificial intelligence extensively here. Artificial intelligence has greatly facilitated writing processes. AI can offer you main ideas, and you should build upon those ideas. However, using ideas from AI with a copy-paste method would be deceiving ourselves. We should aim to surpass artificial intelligence and produce new material for it. In human history, the printing press was a turning point. Electricity was a turning point. Artificial intelligence will be a turning point. Therefore, become masters of artificial intelligence. Don't let the digital world use you; you use the digital world, use it for your goals. If you do that, the digital world will take you to your goals. Conscious digital usage is a big problem, especially for families. Becoming an aimless object of the digital world is one of the most important problems of our time. For this reason, we should see the digital world as a tool and use it correctly to achieve our goals."
"I Am a Writer" portal to be created
The project presentation was given by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sami Mencet. The "'One Hundred New Authors for the New Century of Our Literature' Project" was prepared with the aim of raising young writers who will keep national and spiritual values alive in the new century of Turkish literature and respond to the needs of the age, reducing the damage caused by uncontrolled electronic author and blog applications among younger generations, paving the way for young writers who have not found educational and career opportunities, and ensuring their works reach young people through popular channels.
Within the scope of the "'One Hundred New Authors for the New Century of Our Literature' Project", which aims to increase middle school students' awareness in literature and art, discover new talents, raise future writers with the National Writing Academy to be established, present quality and popular content to society in digital environments, create collections of printed works, and motivate young people on the path to becoming qualified writers, a "I Am a Writer" portal will also be created.
Within the project, which will start in İlim ve Fazilet Vakfı schools, stories uploaded by students to the portal will be evaluated by a preliminary jury and published on a digital platform. Students' "Family" themed stories will be uploaded to the portal, and suitable works will be published by publishing houses. The project, which also aims for the stories to be published as animated films, is expected to conclude by December 31, 2025.
A memorial forest to be created in the name of Üsküdar Üniversitesi and the Black Sea Confederation
Nevzat Duyar, President of the Black Sea Confederation of Civil Society Organizations (KASTOB), drew attention to Nevzat Tarhan's words, "I don't want an academic without a project by my side," and said, "I also took a leaf from that book. I said, 'I don't want a federation without a project.' We started one of these today. While mentioning 100 books, 100 writers, 100 works, I also added this: '100 saplings.' We will create a large memorial forest in the name of Üsküdar Üniversitesi and the Black Sea Confederation."
Dr. Nebiye Yaşar, Project Development Coordinator and Director of the Young Brains Academy Application and Research Center, said, "Our project is; 'One Hundred New Authors for the New Century of Our Literature'. Dear young people, we will continue into our new century with your pens, your imaginations, and the beautiful utterances pouring from your hearts and minds. You will be the ones who write the cultural heritage of the future."
The project will bring together young talents from all corners of Turkey
Yüksel Arslan, KASTOB Secretary General, Thrace Regional President, and Project Coordinator, said, "The main purpose of our gathering here today is to enable our new writers to leave meaningful imprints on the future with their pens. Our project will bring together young talents from all corners of Turkey, connect them with the rich heritage of literature, and equip them with modern writing techniques. In this process, they will not only improve their writing skills but also discover the deep meaning, responsibility, and transformative power of writing."
"Being a Conscious Young Person" book given to young writers participating in the project
During the program, 50 students from the pilot application school were given the book "Being a Conscious Young Person" authored by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, and a group photo was taken. Tarhan signed his book for the students.
Additionally, Sapling Certificates were presented to KASTOB members and Federation Presidents for the memorial forest to be established in Şile.
Model, Presenter Tuğba Özay also read her father's poems…
Model and presenter Tuğba Özay, who participated in the program, also read poems by her father, poet and writer İlhan Özay.
