Today marks the 91st anniversary of the birth of People's Poet of Azerbaijan Khalil Reza Uluturk

Outstanding poet of Azerbaijan Khalil Rza Uluturk was born on 21 October 1932 in Pirabba village of Salyan district. Poets grandfather Khalil gave him his name. Khalil grew up in care and love. At the age of seven he started to study at secondary school No. 2 of Salyan district. School years became for Khalil a period of preparation for entering the world of fiction and the painful, romantic creative sphere of poetry. Reading oral folk literature, works of classical and modern writers inevitably awakened in him a strong desire to write and create. Khalil Reza sometimes tried to express in poetic language the events that worried and made him think since his youth.

The first printed poem of Khalil Rza was published in the newspaper "Azerbaijan Pioneer" in 1948. Having entered the philological faculty of the Azerbaijan State University in 1949, the literary environment of Baku opened a wide road to his creative possibilities. Khalil Reza's active participation in the university's "Youth Day" events under the leadership of literary scholar Jafar Handa and later poet Bakhtiyar Vagabzade, as well as in the work of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan, headed by People's Writer Mirza Ibrahimov, had a significant impact on Reza's formation as a poet.

Khalil Reza, who graduated from Azerbaijan State University in 1954, began his literary activity in the magazine "Azerbaijanika" and attracted the attention of the literary community with articles and poems published in the press.

In 1954, Khalil Reza was elected a member of the USSR Union of Writers. In 1957 his first collection of poems "Spring is near" was published. In August 1957, the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan sent Khalil Rza to Moscow for two-year higher literary courses at the Gorky Institute of World Literature. In addition to studying the theoretical foundations of poetry at the department headed by a prominent representative of Russian literature Pavel Antokolsky, Khalil Rza familiarised himself with the cultural heritage of the peoples of the world.

After returning to Baku in 1959, Khalil Reza continued his postgraduate studies at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical Institute. In 1984, although the poet's book "Streets are Longer than Life" and a collection of poetic works translated from the languages of the USSR under the title "Wreath of Brotherhood" were submitted by the society for the State Prize of the Azerbaijan SSR, this idea caused resistance of the ruling circles. In 1985, talented poet Khalil Rza defended his doctoral thesis on "Artistic creativity of Magsud Sheikhzade and actual problems of Azerbaijan-Uzbek literary relations". In 1986, he was awarded the title "Honoured Art Worker" for his services in the development of Azerbaijani literature.

In the late 80s of the last century, when the people's liberation movement was growing, Khalil Rza's loud voice was heard all over Azerbaijan. On 26 January 1990, Khalil Rza was arrested by the USSR state security bodies and sent to Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Constant interrogations and harsh accusations could not break the poet's will, he continued his struggle for freedom even in prison. Isolated from the environment for 8 months and 13 days, the poet wrote "Lefortovo Diary" and more than 200 poems, poems and letters in the light of his fiery heart.

On 6 May 1991, the poet was awarded the honorary title of "Laureate of the Turkish Nation Award". A year later he was awarded the honourable title of "People's Poet". Azerbaijan's national hero Tabriz Khalilbayli, son of national independence poet Khalil Rza Ulutürk, is one of those brave men who fought for Azerbaijan's independence to cut off the hands that tried to strangle Azerbaijan in its cradle when he was a child. Heroism is not a matter of a few moments and seconds, heroism is embedded in a person's brain, blood and bones.

Khalil Rza Ulutürk, who loved his homeland and people more than life, who said: "We are the land of Turkestan, we are streams of zeal and strength", died on 22 June 1994 and was buried in the Walk of Honour.

People's poet Khalil Rza Ulutürk was awarded the Order of Independence (posthumously) for his special services to the national struggle of the Azerbaijani people.