I wore out the shackles of longing

I Worn Out the Shackles of Your Longing , was first published in 1968. It has been repressed many times since then. It was in the hands, words and songs of several successive generations of socialists and revolutionaries. It had an unforgettable, special place in the bittersweet memories of many people. In our opinion, Ahmed Arif's poems symbolize the love of the country and the people, the rebellious spirit and the ethics of rebellion, both of the poet's own generation and of the 68-78 generations. With this special 40th anniversary edition of the book, we wanted to give a red carnation to the older generations with the verses of Ahmed Arif. More importantly, we wanted to convey and remind young readers of these ideas and values in this age when they are trying to be erased from view.

Ahmed Arif (1927-1991) was born in Diyarbakır. He completed his secondary education at Afyon High School. While he was studying philosophy at Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, he did not have the opportunity to complete his education because he was arrested twice, the first in 1950 and the second in 1952-53, on the grounds of committing acts contrary to Articles 141 and 142 of the Penal Code. He worked in various Ankara newspapers. His poems were published in magazines of the period between 1944-55. His first and only poetry book, I Worn Out Shackles from Longing, was published in 1968. The book, which has been reprinted many times until today, was adopted by a wide range of readers, especially the social opposition movements of the 68 and 78 periods, and became a classic.