Khalil Rza Uluturk (), (21 October 1932, Salyan – 22 June 1994, Baku) was an Azerbaijani poet, critic, literary scholar, translator, member of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union since 1954, Doctor of Philological Sciences (1969), Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan (1986), laureate of the M.F. Akhundov Literary Award (1991), and People's Poet of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1992). Posthumously, he was awarded the "Istiglal" (Independence) Order.
In 1954, he graduated from the Faculty of Philology at Azerbaijan State University (now Baku State University). He began his literary activity during his student years, with his first poems published in the press. He worked for a long time at the Azerbaijan Writers' Union and in various press organizations. Additionally, he conducted research in literary studies, contributing to the study of Azerbaijan's literary heritage."X. R. Xəlilova (Xəlil Rza Ulutürkə) "Azərbaycan Respublikasının xalq şairi" fəxri adının verilməsi haqqında" Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin 24 aprel 1992-ci il tarixli, 699 nömrəli Fərmanı
In the late 1980s, he actively participated in Azerbaijan's national independence movement. After the events of January 20, 1990, he was arrested and held for some time in Moscow's Lefortovo prison. He was released in 1991 and continued his activities, becoming one of the prominent poets of independent Azerbaijan. In 1992, he was awarded the honorary title of "People's Poet of Azerbaijan."
Khalil Rza Uluturk died in Baku in 1994 and was buried in the Alley of Honor. His work holds a significant place in Azerbaijani literature, emphasizing the protection of national values and the expression of political and social ideas in poetry.
Life Khalil Rza Uluturk was born on October 21, 1932, in Pirəbbə village, Salyan district, Azerbaijan. Some sources note his birth year as 1933, as indicated in his passport and military ID. However, Khalil Rza himself stated that his birth year was 1932, claiming to be the same age as the magazine Tashvigatchi ( ).
Khalil Rza's father was Rza Nagıyev, and his mother was Khanim Nagıyeva. His grandfather, Khalil, after whom Khalil Rza was named, had "a small plot of land, a pair of oxen, and a plow." In 1933, the Soviet government confiscated his property, and in 1937, he was arrested and exiled to Siberia for his nationalist views. After losing their property, the family was forced to move to Salyan in 1939.
From then on, all the family’s responsibilities fell on Khalil Rza’s father, Rza, who was in his 30s. Rza worked as an accountant and inspector and was drafted into the army at the onset of World War II. He actively participated in battles near Moscow in 1941-1942. Upon his return to Salyan, his body bore 17 injuries caused by bullets and shrapnel. Rza bəy died on October 17, 1957, due to complications from these wounds. These traumatic events that Khalil Rza witnessed in his childhood left a lasting impression on him and were reflected in his literary works, academic studies, and public speeches.
In his memoirs, Khalil Rza fondly recalls his father, crediting him for instilling in him national consciousness and sparking his interest in national literature and intellectual pursuits. Khalil Rza noted that he first heard the poetry of Fuzuli, Raci, Sabir, Ali bey Huseynzade, Ziya Gökalp, and Tevfik Fikret recited by his father, Rza. He writes in his memoirs:
"While reading these poems with a passionate and moving voice, sometimes wiping away tears, my father, who died at 47, remains in my eyes a symbol of a grand and noble past."
Khalil Rza Uluturk emphasized that preserving the Azerbaijani language was key to ensuring the unity of an independent Azerbaijan and the transmission of its cultural heritage across generations. He paid special attention to the theme of the mother tongue in his poetry and academic works. In his memoirs, he highlights that he learned the subtleties and harmony of the Azerbaijani language from his mother. He also noted that his mother was a housewife who raised five sons and three daughters. His siblings—Rustem, Tofig, Memmed, Boyukkhanim, Ulduz, Arife, and Ferhad—were also inclined toward poetry.
Youth Khalil Rza Uluturk began his education in 1939 at Salyan District School No. 2, graduating in 1949. His tendency to express his thoughts through poetry developed during his school years, which served as the preparatory stage for his literary creativity. During this period, Khalil Rza became acquainted with modern and classical writers, as well as Azerbaijani oral literature, and began expressing himself through poetry.
In 1949, he enrolled in the Philology Faculty of Azerbaijan State University. During his university years, he joined a literary circle led by Jafar Khandan and Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh. He also participated in "Youth Day" events organized by Mirza İbrahimov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union. These literary environments played a significant role in shaping him as a poet and gaining literary knowledge.
Between 1949 and 1954, Khalil Rza Uluturk’s poems were frequently published, helping him gain recognition in literary circles. In 1954, he graduated from university and became a member of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union the same year. After completing his education, he began working at the Azerbaijan Woman magazine, where he remained for two years.
In the 1957-1958 academic year, Khalil Rza was sent to Moscow on the recommendation of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union to attend advanced literary courses at the M. Gorky Literature Institute. Other Azerbaijani literary figures, such as N.Khazri, A.Kurchaylı, Gabil, M.Araz, S.Tahir, E.Eylisli, Fikret Goca, A.Mustafazadeh, and S.Memmedzadeh, also studied at this institution. Renowned writers like Chinghiz Aitmatov, Rasul Gamzatov, Yevgeny Yevtushenko and David Kugultinov also studied there. The students had the opportunity to meet celebrated writers such as Pablo Neruda, Romain Rolland, and Nazım Hikmet. Khalil Rza studied under the guidance of Pavel Antokolsky.
Teaching career Between 1959 and 1962, he worked at the editorial office of the magazine Goyarchin ( ). After completing his studies in Moscow in 1959, he returned to Baku and briefly served as an assistant at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical Institute. In 1963, he defended his dissertation on the topic The Genre of Poem in Post-War Azerbaijani Soviet Literature, earning the title of "Candidate of Philological Sciences."
Starting in 1963, Uluturk began teaching at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, named after N. Tusi. Ismayil Shykhly’s remarks about his classes are noteworthy:
Khalil Rza Uluturk’s wife, Firangiz, recalled that his lectures were so captivating that students from other classes would skip their own lessons to attend his. In 1964, Uluturk expressed his excitement about teaching and his connection with his students in a poem titled My Students.
Unlike many of his colleagues, Uluturk actively fought to preserve the purity of the Azerbaijani language in his lectures, instilling a love for the language and the homeland in his students. He dedicated years to strengthening the Azerbaijani language by eliminating words and expressions borrowed from Arabic, Persian, and Russian. Notably, he was the first to introduce the word çimərlik (beach) into Azerbaijani. He replaced words such as doğma (native) with biçim, televizor (television) with telegüzgü, fortoçka (small window) with nəfəslik, and istiqamət (direction) with yön. His wife described his linguistic sensitivity:However, his stance on the Azerbaijani language displeased the administration, and as a result, Uluturk was dismissed from his position. Following this incident, he remained unemployed for some time.
Uluturk’s sensitivity regarding his native language also alarmed Soviet authorities. Akhundov, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party, criticized Khalil Rza’s poem Mother Tongue and other works at an August 1962 Central Committee meeting, accusing him of promoting harmful national pride.
When a Turkish delegation visited Azerbaijan for the 250th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Vagif, Uluturk was denied permission to meet them. Despite being under surveillance by the State Security Committee during the celebrations, Uluturk defied the restrictions and met the Turkish guests at their hotel, presenting them with his manuscripts. For publishing his poem Mother Tongue () in Turkey, Uluturk faced further pressure from the Azerbaijan Writers' Union. The union's chairman, Mehdi Huseyn, criticized Khalil Rza's "damaging national pride" in an article published in Literature and Art on September 8, 1962. In 1967, Uluturk represented Azerbaijani writers during a visit to Turkey. This pivotal trip laid the foundation for his ideas on Turkism.
Following these events, Khalil Rza endured prolonged persecution. His phones were tapped, and he was branded a "guilty individual" in official circles. Reflecting on the period of unemployment, he recounted his struggles in an interview shortly after the January 20, 1990 tragedy:I did not work in any other government position. I faced difficulties in supporting my family and feeding my children. My family never knew that I was unemployed for two years. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them. To make ends meet, I traveled from village to village, giving lectures and reciting poetry. In short, I took on any job outside my primary profession. Often, even these efforts were obstructed. Yet, without changing my beliefs or bowing to oppression, I managed to persevere until 1969. Finally, in 1969, they had no choice but to offer me a job. Now, I continue in the same role. But my true mission is to speak my people’s language and be the voice of their feelings.
Academic Years Despite the obstacles posed by the Soviet regime, in 1969, Uluturk was invited to the Nizami Institute of Literature at the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, where he continued his literary work as a senior researcher. At the Institute, Uluturk collaborated with figures like Mirzaaga Quluzade and Aziz Mirahmadov, worked on translations, and prepared his doctoral dissertation.
In 1970, he traveled to Tashkent to gather materials on Maqsud Shayxzoda for his doctoral dissertation. In 1974, his wife Firangiz was sent to the Tashkent Advanced Training Institute. Together with their son Rza, they joined Khalil Rza in Tashkent.
In 1983, under Aziz Mirahmadov’s leadership, Khalil Rza’s 50th anniversary was celebrated at the Academy. In 1984, it was decided at the M.F. Akhundov Library to present Khalil Rza with the State Award for his books Long Nights () and Garland of Brotherhood (). However, this decision was blocked by higher authorities. Shortly thereafter, the Gorky Central Mobile Library and the Poetry Section of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union organized another event to present Khalil Rza with the State Award for his works published by Gənclik and Maarif. Those who participated or supported these events were immediately dismissed from their jobs. Khalil Rza made every effort to have these individuals reinstated, albeit in lower positions.
In 1985, Khalil Rza defended his doctoral dissertation titled Maqsud Shayxzoda’s Artistic Creativity and Current Problems of Azerbaijani-Uzbek Literary Relations, earning the title of Doctor of Philology. A year later, his salary was increased, he was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker, and was appointed as a professor at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.
Participation in the National Liberation Movement From the 1950s onward, Khalil Rza Uluturk became known for his poetry and literary writings. After the 1980s, his name began to be associated with political activities as he actively participated in Azerbaijan’s independence struggle, becoming a prominent intellectual figure in the liberation movement.