İsmet Kür facts for kids

İsmet Kür (born Zorluhankızı, 29 September 1916 – 21 January 2013) was a Turkish educator, journalist, and writer. She was especially known for her books for children. Her writings included stories, novels, and poems. She also wrote non-fiction and memoirs about her life. As a journalist, she worked for the BBC World Service and several newspapers like Cumhuriyet. She also created programs for radio stations like Ankara Radio and TRT.

About İsmet Kür's Life

İsmet Kür was born on 29 September 1916 in Göztepe, Kadıköy, which was part of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). At that time, it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Her family home was a place where many writers and poets often visited. Her father, Avnullah Kazim, was a journalist and politician. Her mother, Ayşe Nazlı, was also a very smart and educated woman. İsmet's older sister, Halide Nusret Zorlutuna, also became a famous poet and writer.

In 1934, a new law called the Surname Law was passed in Turkey. This law made everyone choose a family name. İsmet chose "Zorluhankızı," which means "daughter of Zorluhan." She did this because her first name, İsmet, was usually given to boys, which sometimes caused confusion. Her family's ancestors were important leaders from a place called Zorluhan in eastern Turkey.

Education and Family

After finishing the Girls' Teacher School in Edirne, İsmet Kür studied literature. She went to the Gazi Institute for Education in Ankara and became a teacher in 1938.

She married a mathematician who loved classical music and art. After getting married, she took his last name, "Kür." They had two daughters: Pınar Kür, who became a journalist and writer, and Işılar Kür, who became a sculptor. İsmet Kür also had a grandson, Emrah Kolukısa, who works in television.

İsmet Kür went to London with her young daughters to learn English. In 1953, she studied at the Kent School of Drama. Later, from 1956 to 1960, she lived in New York City with her children. While there, she took classes at New York University. She learned about things like children's and youth psychology, adult education, and how people get along.

During her time in the U.S., she helped start the "Women's Association" with the wife of the Turkish Ambassador.

Later Years

İsmet Kür believed that staying active helped her live a long life. She enjoyed playing tennis, volleyball, skiing, and doing gymnastics every morning. In September 2012, she became ill and had to stay in bed. She passed away at home on 21 January 2013, when she was 96 years old. She was buried at Ayazağa Cemetery in Istanbul.

İsmet Kür's Career

İsmet Kür had a varied and interesting career. She was a teacher, a journalist, and a very active writer.

As an Educator and Diplomat

For 21 years, İsmet Kür worked as a Turkish language and literature teacher. In the 1950s, she also worked for the BBC World Service in London. In 1956, she was given an important job as the Deputy Student Inspector for Turkish students in the United States. Later, she became the main Student Inspector in New York City. She also served as the Turkish Attaché of Culture there until 1960. This role meant she helped share Turkish culture and education in the U.S.

As a Journalist

İsmet Kür worked for a long time as a journalist for the newspaper Cumhuriyet. She also wrote regular columns for other newspapers like Barış and Yeni İstanbul.

As a Writer

İsmet Kür was friends with many other authors, including Kemal Tahir. She wrote 27 books, including research papers, essays, short stories, poems, novels, and memoirs. She also wrote short plays for radio and stage. Her very first poem was published in a magazine called Çocuk Dünyası ("Child's World") in 1927. Her first short story, Mutlu Tahayüller, came out in 1931.

She wrote more than 100 short scripts for a radio show called "Çocuk Saati" ("Children's Hour") on Ankara Radio. She also created children's programs for TRT in Turkey and Bayrak in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

İsmet Kür shared her life experiences in her memoirs, Yarısı Roman (published in 1995) and Yıllara mı Çarptı Hızımız (published in 2008). Her research book, Osmanlıca Çocuk Dergileri, about children's magazines in the old Ottoman Turkish language, made her very well-known. She continued writing until she passed away.

İsmet Kür was a member of important groups for writers, like the "People of the Letters Association" and the "Turkish Union of Writers."

Her Books

İsmet Kür wrote many different kinds of books, especially for children. Some of her non-fiction works include:

• Anneler Sizin İçin (1964)
• Osmanlıca Çocuk Dergileri (research on Ottoman children's magazines)

Her first published poem was Yaşamak (1945).