Ziya Pasha was born in Istanbul in 1825. He was the son of Erzurumlu Feriduddin Efendi who was the secretary of the Galata customs. He finished Bayezid secondary school. He read the works of folk poets Asik Garip, Asik Kerugma and Asik Omer at the age of 15. At the age of 17-18, he began to work in a government office. He won his fame among his friends with the poems he wrote in form Divan Literature. He was appointed as third secretary of Sultan Abdulmecid with the help of Resit Pasha. He learnt French.

After the death of Sultan Abdulmecid he was dismissed from the palace. He was first appointed as Counsellor, then he designated as the Ambassador of Athens and he was sent to Cyprus with pasha rank. Several months later Sultan Abdulaziz invited him to Istanbul and appointed him to Bosnia-Herzegovina. After a short period he was designated as the Minister of Justice. Bab-i Ali dismissed him and sent to Amasya with a governmental duty. He joined to the Society of New Ottomans targeting to abolish the despot government. He escaped to Europe with Namik Kemal. He first went Paris and then to London. He established the “Hurriyet” (Liberty) Journal, in 1868. He wrote Zafername, Terkib-i Bend, and Terci-i Bend in addition to his articles he wrote for the journal while he was in Europe. After he returned to Istanbul he was appointed to different governmental duties. He prepared his big anthology named Harabat at that time. He opposed the dethronement of Sultan Abdulaziz. In the reign of Sultan Murad V he was designated as the chief secretary. In the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II, Namik Kemal and Ziya Pasha was given the duty of to prepare the constitution named “Kanun-i Esasi”. After some while Sultan Abdulhamid II changed his policy and sent Ziya Pasha to Syria as the Governor. After some while he was appointed as the governor of Konya. He died in Adana his last work place, in 1880.

Ziya Pasha was one of the last classical Turk poets. He was a pioneer who introduced the western thought and culture to the Turkish society. He revealed his research in the articles he wrote for “Hurriyet” Journal. He criticised the government with a simple language he used.

His father’s suicide. He obsessed with the idea of suicide and he died by cutting his wrist with a razor in the Harem on 1^st February 1916. He was buried in Sultan Mahmud’s tomb. Mehmed Vahiduddun was raised to be the heir apparent.

©Copyright 1999 FORSNeT (All Rights Reserved)