Penned by Mehmet Âkif Ersoy, and ultimately composed by Osman Zeki Üngör, the theme is one of affection for the Turkish homeland, freedom, and faith, as well as praise for the virtues of hope, devotion, and sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty, all explored through visual, tactile, and kinesthetic imagery as these concepts relate to the flag, the human spirit, and the soil of the homeland.

A framed version of the national anthem typically occupies the wall above the blackboard in the classrooms of Turkish schools, accompanied by a Turkish flag, a photograph of the country's founding savior Atatürk, and a copy of Atatürk's famous speech to the nation's youth from the concluding remarks to his 20 October 1927 address to the Parliament.

[2][3] The present-day anthem is a collective effort by several prominent poets, musicians, and composers that took form over several years due to the relatively tumultuous nature of the period in which it was crafted.

Even before the full official dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, a nationwide competition was organized in 1921 by the Turkish National Movement — an independent and self-organized militia force led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk waging a lengthy campaign for independence against both invading foreign powers and the Ottoman Court itself, due to the latter being treasonous and complicit in the partitioning of the Turkish homeland in the aftermath of the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres.

The goal of the competition was to select an original composition suitable for a National March, intended to both motivate the militia forces fighting for independence across the country, and to provide inspiration and pride for a new homeland that would be established once victory was achieved.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy, a well-known poet of the period, initially refused to participate due to a monetary prize being offered in the competition, but was subsequently contacted and convinced by the National Parliament to submit a poem and disregard the reward.

The resulting ten-stanza-long poem written by Ersoy was recited to the National Assembly by representative Hamdullah Suphi, on 1 March 1921,[4] where it was unanimously adopted by the deputies following evaluation by a parliamentary committee.

Shortly thereafter, twenty-four composers participated in another competition arranged for the selection of a musical composition that would best suit the elected anthem.

The committee, which was only able to convene in 1924 due to the 1919–1923 Turkish War of Independence, adopted the music composed by Ali Rıfat Çağatay.

In 1930, a new composition by Osman Zeki Üngör, virtuoso composer and the first conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Turkey, was adopted as a permanent musical arrangement by Parliament.

قورقمه، سونمز بو شفقلرده یوزن آل سانجاق سونمدن یوردمڭ اوستنده توتن اڭ صوڭ اوجاق.

غربڭ آفاقنی صارمشسه چلیك زرهلی دیوار بنم ایمان دولو گوكوسم گبی سرحدم وار.

هر جریحه‌مدن، الهی، بوشانوب قانلی یاشم، فیشقیریر روح مجرد گبی یردن نعشم؛ او زمان یوكسه‌له‌ره‌ڭ عرشه دگه‌ر بلكه باشم!

Sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak, Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak.

Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helal... Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklal!

Kükremiş sel gibiyim, bendimi çiğner, aşarım, Yırtarım dağları, enginlere sığmam, taşarım.

Garbın afakını sarmışsa çelik zırhlı duvar, Benim iman dolu göğsüm gibi serhaddim var.

Bastığın yerleri “toprak” diyerek geçme, tanı, Düşün altındaki binlerce kefensiz yatanı.

Sen şehit oğlusun, incitme, yazıktır atanı, Verme, dünyaları alsan da bu cennet vatanı.

Canı, cananı, bütün varımı alsın da Hüda, Etmesin tek vatanımdan beni dünyada cüda.

Then, my tombstone, if any, prostrates in rapture a thousand-fold, Of my every wound, oh glorious God, tears of blood gush forth, And out spurts my corpse, in pure spirit, from the ground, Perhaps then, shall ascend and to the heavens touch my crown!

So ripple and wave, like dawning skies, oh glorious crescent, So that every drop of my blood finally be blessed and worthy!