Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı is recognized as one of the most original and colorful figures in Turkish literature. Writing under the pen name Halikarnas Balıkçısı, inspired by the ancient name of Bodrum, he was a writer, storyteller, novelist, and painter who brought the blue waters of the Aegean, the people of the sea, and the ancient cultures of Anatolia to his works. Despite a life filled with tragedy, he was a pioneer who brought the "Blue Anatolia" movement to our literature through his love of nature, passion for the sea, and humanistic perspective. 

Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı was born on April 17, 1890, in Crete, which was then Ottoman territory. His father, Mehmet Şakir Pasha, came from a family of Ottoman diplomats, governors, and historians; he had served in Crete and Athens and authored works such as "The New Ottoman History." His mother, Sare İsmet Hanım, was a Cretan painter. The family belonged to a prominent Turkmen lineage; his uncle, Cevat Şakir Pasha, had served as Grand Vizier during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II. 

Cevat Şakir was the eldest of six siblings: Among his siblings were artistic figures such as painter Fahrünnisa Zeyd (Fahrelnisa), engraver Aliye Berger, and Hakkıye, the mother of ceramicist Füreya Koral. His childhood was spent between Athens and Istanbul due to his father's diplomatic assignments. He completed his primary education on Büyükada and his secondary and high school education at Robert College in 1907 with excellent grades. That same year, his first article was published in the İkdam newspaper, introducing him to literature. He was sent to England to continue his education; he studied Modern History at Oxford University, but after graduating, he moved to Italy and studied painting. In 1912, he married the Italian Agniesia (or Aniesi); they had a daughter named Mutarra. In 1914, the family experienced a financial crisis, and his father settled on the Kabaağaçlı farm in Afyon. A tragic argument that took place here changed Cevat Şakir's life: his father was shot and killed by a bullet from his gun. The incident sparked debate as to whether it was an accident or a murder disguised as suicide; Cevat Şakir was charged with murder and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He spent three years in prison and served the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. This incident caused deep trauma in his family and may have influenced the themes of family drama and human psychology in Cevat Şakir's works.

After his release, Cevat Şakir returned to Istanbul and entered the world of journalism. He worked on cartoons, cover designs, comic strips, and illustrations for magazines such as Diken, Resimli Gazete, Resimli Ay, and İnci; he drew Turkey's first color magazine cover. He wrote articles under his son Sina's name. In 1925, during the early days of the Republic, he was tried at the Ankara Independence Court on charges of praising military deserters for his article titled "How Those Condemned to Death in Prison Knowingly Go to the Gallows" in Resimli Hafta magazine and was exiled to Bodrum for three years. This exile transformed his life: he fell in love with the blue waters of Bodrum and ancient Halikarnassos and took the pseudonym "Halikarnas Balıkçısı" (The Fisherman of Halikarnas). After completing his sentence (1928), he voluntarily returned to Bodrum, where he worked as a fisherman, sponge diver, and guide. He lived there until 1947, writing most of his works. 

His second marriage was to his uncle's daughter Hamdiye Hanım (their sons were Sina), and his third was to Hatice Hanım (their daughters were İsmet Noonan and Aliye Önce); he had five children from these three marriages. He settled in İzmir in 1947, but his love for Bodrum never faded. He spoke languages such as English, French, Italian, Greek, and Latin at a native level. He passed away in Izmir on October 13, 1973, at the age of 83, from bone cancer. In accordance with his will, he was buried on Türbe Hill in Gümbet, Bodrum; his grave was turned into the Halikarnas Balıkçısı Museum.

Cevat Şakir was an artist who transitioned from painting to writing. Although he was known for his cartoons and drawings in his early years, he focused on literature during his exile in Bodrum. His works are dominated by the sea, nature, Aegean culture, ancient mythology, and human drama. He employed a realistic style, drawing from his own observations and describing sponge divers, fishermen, and sea wanderers in poetic language. He connected Western civilization to its Anatolian roots; together with Azra Erhat and Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, he initiated the "Blue Anatolia" movement, integrating the classical heritage of the Aegean into Turkish culture. His artistic vision is humanist and ecologist: the struggle between sea and land, mythological elements (Anatolian gods), and themes of freedom are at the forefront. He popularized the concept of the "blue voyage"; today's luxury yacht tours were inspired by him. In 1971, he received the State Award from the Ministry of Culture.

Noval

Aganta Burina Burinata - 1956

Adventures at sea, the journey of a sailboat.

Uluç Reis - 1962

A historical seafaring tale.

Ötelerin Çocuğu - 1957

A family drama filled with mythological elements.

Turgut Reis - 1969

The life of pirate captain Turgut Reis.

Deniz Gurbetçileri - 1955

Migration and sea themed.

Bulamaç - 1968

Aegean village life.

Story

Ege Kıyılarından - 1939

Bodrum stories.

Merhaba Akdeniz - 1947

Sea adventures.

Ege'nin Dibi - 1952

The underwater world.

Yaşasın Deniz - 1954

Fisherman stories.

Gülen Ada - 1957

Stories of Kos Island.

Parmak Damgası - 1973

Social dramas.

Dalgıçlar - 1991

Sponge hunters.

Essay/Memoir

Mavi Sürgün - 1962

Memories of exile in Bodrum.

Anadolu Efsaneleri - 1953

Mythology collection.

Anadolu Tanrıları - 1947

Ancient Anatolian gods.

Bodrum - 1968

Love for Bodrum.

Merhaba Anadolu - 1951

Anatolian culture.

Altıncı Kıta Akdeniz - 1973

History of the Mediterranean.

Halikarnas Balıkçısı put Bodrum on the world tourism map; he became the symbol of the district with the lines, "When you reach the top of the hill, you will see Bodrum. Don't think you will leave as you came..." He was a pioneer in tourist guiding; blue voyages are his legacy. His daughter İsmet Kabaağaçlı Noonan (1930-2020) and his sons continued his work in the fields of art and medicine. Recently, his life has been brought back into the spotlight with the Şakir Paşa Family series, and his tragic family story has been explored in popular culture. Cevat Şakir was not just a writer, but a sage who kept the blue heritage of Anatolia alive. His works still evoke the winds of the Aegean today.