His received his early education in Istanbul, but didn't formally graduate due to the dire financial situation within the family.

[2] He published the book Fazilet ve Asalet in 1891, which caused the prime minister to appoint him to work in his office as the director of documentation.

[2] His early literary work was influenced by the political activist and Islamic ideologist, Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, who Yurdakul was to get to know in Constantinople in 1892.

[3] al-Afghānī died in 1897 and Yurdakul published a compilation of his poetry in the book Türkçe Şiirler, which were accompanied by paintings from Fausto Zonaro.

[5] During World War I, his literary work became popular amongst the adherents of the CUP as his nationalist views did not exclude religion.