Agop Dilâçar ( Hagop Martayan 22 May 1895 â 12 September 1979) was a Turkish-Armenian linguist who specialized in Turkic languages and head western languages specialist of the Turkish Language Association. He was proficient in 12 languages, including Armenian, Turkish, English, French, Greek, Spanish, Azerbaijani, Latin, German, Russian and Bulgarian.
Of Armenian descent, Agop Dilâçar was born Hagop Martayan in Istanbul in 1895. His father was Vahan Martayan and his mother Eugenie Martayan (née Sarafian). He studied English in the local American School editing the school's publication "School News" (1907). In 1910, Dilâçar studied at the Robert College where he also learned German, Latin and Classical Greek, graduating in 1915. After completing his studies, he served as an officer in the Ottoman Army's Second Division in Diyarbakñr. Dilâçar was awarded for his bravery and continued serving in the Ottoman Army reserves. Because of his knowledge of English, he worked as a Turkish Army interpreter for the British prisoners of war held after the Siege of Kut south of Baghdad. Dilâçar was arrested and escorted to Damascus for alleged secret extrajudicial contacts with the British prisoners. In Damascus, he was introduced for the first time to Mustafa Kemal Pasha (later known as Atatürk). Mustafa Kemal Pasha was then the Commander of the Ottoman Army's Seventh Division. Mustafa Kemal was impressed by Dilâçar's intelligence and secured a pardon for him and took him into his headquarters.
In 1918, Dilâçar moved to Lebanon, where he became the headmaster of Beirut's Sourp Nshan Armenian National School. In Lebanon, he established Louys, an Armenian periodical (in Armenian üøõý, meaning ëThe Lightû). In 1919, he returned to Istanbul where he worked as a lecturer of English at the Robert College. In 1922, he married Méliné Martayan and the couple moved to Bulgaria where he taught Ottoman Turkish and ancient East languages at Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria. In Sofia he also published the Armenian weekly Mshagouyt (in Armenian ÃÂ÷áïøõé, meaning ëCultureû) and the monthly Armenian periodical Rahvira (in Armenian ÃÂáðþëÃÂáõ).
Dilâçar published a study of Turkish language in Istanbul's Arevelk (in Armenian ñÃÂÃÂ¥ÃÂÃ¥ìÃÂ, meaning ëThe Eastû). A translated copy of the article gained the attention of Mustafa Kemal Pasha who invited him to return to Turkey where he lectured in Faculty of Languages, History and Geography.
On 22 September 1932, Dilâçar was invited as a linguist to the First Turkish Language Congress held in Dolmabahçe Palace supervised by Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey, together with two other linguists of Armenian ethnicity, ðstepan Gurdikyan and Kevork Simkeà Âyan. He continued his work and research on the Turkish language as the head Western languages specialist of the newly founded Turkish Language Association in Ankara. Following the issue of the Law on Family Names in 1934, Mustafa Kemal Pasha suggested him the surname Dilaçar (literally meaning ëLanguage Openerû), which he gladly accepted. Nevertheless, he continued to use the surname Martayan to sign his articles in Armenian.
Dilâçar taught history and language at Ankara University between 1936 and 1951. He also was the head adviser of the Türk Ansiklopedisi (Turkish Encyclopedia), between 1942 and 1960. He held his position and continued his research in linguistics at the Turkish Language Association until his death on 12 September 1979, in Istanbul.
In addition to his work in Turkish language, Dilâçar also published in Istanbul's Armenian media, in particular with the Armenian daily Marmara (in Armenian ÃÂáÃÂôáÃÂá).
In 1922, Dilâçar published his literary work Aratchin Portsutyun (in Armenian ëñüáûëö ÃÂøÃÂñøÃÂéëÃÂöû meaning ëFirst Tryû). Also in 1922, he translated Armenian playwright Levon Shant's play Hin Asdvadzner (in Armenian ëÃÂëö áýÿþáîöÃÂ¥ÃÂû meaning ëOld Godsû) to English. In 1929 he published his Armenological study "Kri Dzakoume yev Daradzoume" (in Armenian ëóÃÂë îáãøÃÂôè àÿáÃÂáîøÃÂôèû meaning ëThe Origin and Spread of Languageû) and in 1929 "Hapetapanoutyun" (in Armenian ëÃÂáâÃ¥éáâáöøÃÂéëÃÂöû) in addition to an Armenian translation of a collection of English poetry under the title Albyoni Bardezen (in Armenian ëñìâëøöë úáÃÂÿçæçöû meaning ëFrom the Garden of Albionû) also in 1929.
In 1951, Dilâçar published his book Hazar Hink Harur Amyagi Khoher (ë1500áôÃ¥áïë ÃÂøðÃÂ¥ÃÂû - meaning ëThoughts on the 1500th Anniversaryû). In 1956 he published his book Asdvadzashountche yev Ashkharhapare (in Armenian ëñýÿøÃÂáîá÷øÃÂöùè Ã¥àñ÷ÃÂáÃÂðáâáÃÂèû meaning ëThe Holy Bible and Modern Armenian Languageû).
Dilâçar had numerous written works in linguistics, literature, studies and translations in Armenian. For example his literary work Salin Vra (Kragan Portser) (in Armenian ÃÂáìëö ÃÂÃÂáõ (ãÃÂáïáö ÃÂøÃÂñÃÂ¥ÃÂ), a collection of poems Khonchadz Yerazner (in Armenian ëýøöûáî õÃÂáæöÃÂ¥ÃÂû), a theatrical piece Tsaykatiter (in Armenian ëÃÂáõãáéëéÃ¥üû) and studies like "Levon Shant, Ir Pilisopayoutyune yev Kegharvesde" (in Armenian üÃÂ¥ÃÂøö ÃÂáöéàûàÃÂëìëýøÃÂáõøÃÂéëÃÂöè Ã¥àóÃ¥òáÃÂøÃÂÃ¥ýÿè, meaning ëLevon Shant, his Philosophy and Artistryû) and "Hay Tyutsaznavebe, Pakhtadadagan Himi Vera" (in Armenian ÃÂáõ ôëÃÂÃÂáæöáþçúè òáòäáÿáÿáïáö ÃÂëôë ÃÂÃÂáõ meaning ëThe Armenian Heroic Epic Novel on a Comparative Basisû).
After his death in 1979, it was claimed that TRT, the only Turkish television channel at the time, concealed the first name "Agop",àwhich would suggest an Armenian descent, and instead mentioned "A. Dilaçar", using only the initial of his forename together with his surname. However, in a TV program in TRT, which Dilaçar joined, his first name was pronounced and spelled as well, crediting him "Agop Dilaçar, TDK Uzmanñ".
It is an issue of controversy whether Dilâçar was the person who officially proposed the surname Atatürk to the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, or Saffet Arñkan's "Ulu ÃÂnderimiz Ata Türk Mustafa Kemal" (Our Great Leader father of Turk Mustafa Kemal) sentence in the opening speech of the 2nd Language Day on 26 September 1934 became an inspiration for surname Atatürk. Contemporary newspapers and other articles favor the latter claim.