The mediterranean as the source of identity, universe and lyrism in The Fisherman of Halicarnassus

The Mediterranean, a geographical term as well as a cultural sphere, offers limitless literary material due to its identity, culture, mythology, nature, and the sensory opportunities it presents to the people living within it. In Turkish literature, the figure who internalized and placed the Mediterranean at the center of his works, embracing its identity, culture, mythology, nature, and the sensory experiences it offers to its inhabitants, is Fisherman of Halicarnassus. Following his exile to Bodrum by the decision of the Independence Tribunal in 1925, the Mediterranean became his lived geography, symbolizing a place of rebirth and return to origins. From the moment he integrated with this geography, Fisherman, with his predisposition to say yes, his Dionysian temperament, and his longing for openness, became the prototype of the Mediterranean person. The author claims that the Mediterranean, which he named the "Sixth Continent" and defined as the cradle of civilization, imparts a common perception and behavior to people through its climate and sea. In this claim, Anatolia stands out among Mediterranean civilizations. His works, rooted in lyrical poetry, bring the Mediterranean discourse to Turkish literature with themes such as awakening to nature, journeying, and reaching unknown lands, accompanied by imaginary beings and a poetic language.The Archipelago is prioritized in his works as the nucleus of Mediterranean civilization and as Fisherman's aesthetically crafted living geography, including its flora and fauna. This thesis focuses on directing the essence of the Fisherman corpus towards the Mediterranean as a concept. Within the framework of geography-centered literary criticism, the subject is considered to delineate the boundaries of Halikarnas Balıkçısı's life and literary geography as the Mediterranean, aiming to open new areas of interpretation within his corpus.