One of the meanings of Tevfik’s name is that "Allah's enabling his servant to do deeds in accordance with his will and his acquiescence". In those years, because the tyranny had designated Izmir as a "city of exile", it was exiling everyone, who opposed the tyranny and the administration, to Izmir. In this way, Tevfik had the chance to meet people with knowledge that would give him the direction of his life. He was learning philosophy, politics and literature from the most famous and wise people of the time. This was where he met "Poet Esref", where they would spend a lot of time together. He learnt sarcasm from him. He also learnt that the pen could sound like a ney.
He whispered with his pen that what he was blowing was not breath but spirit.
Since the things, which would happen inevitably, could be regarded as "coincidental", however, apparently Tevfik did not think so and so did his father and Mr. Hasan Fehmi agreed that Tevfik would visit a Mawlavi House in Istanbul. Although he was initially sent to the "Madrasah of Fethiye", he was spending all his time in Galata Mawlavi House. There was nothing unclear about it, all the taverns were around Galata Mawlavi House.
“Mey” must’ve been the third love of Tevfik...
Musicians, poets, writers and intellectuals of the tyranny period were also around Galata. Among the land of those who shared his language and those who understood his language, he became more famous and sharp day by day. He was a breath with his poetry against all the oppression and prohibitions of the tyranny period, and with the power of his breath, he was giving life to his poetry. He also met Mehmet Akif Ersoy, author of the National Anthem, one of the most important poets and progressivists of the time. Thus, a fellow who would be the most important friend, teacher, master, and brother to him involved the rest of his life. He spent almost his all day in taverns with friendly conversations, and he was almost never going to the mawlavi house at all. He was in such deep conversation which freed him from his shapes and definitions, and he was finding his own essence. Within a few years, he left the mawlavi house. He was continuing to learn in the tavern where he was motivated not to his appetizers but his appetite, and with the effect of his fullness, every time he breathed the inspiration he received from the truth, "a thousand children of Mevlana” were coming out of each hole of his ney.
Now he was the well-known and respected "Poet Neyzen Tevfik." The journalists of the period of tyranny were constantly complaining about his poems and appeals. When he was first taken into custody for provoking the public, he did not stay in jail long, but he learned that he already had nearly thirty denunciations against him. After that, he understood that he could visit the jail more often.
Getting deeper the conversations of the truth, more inclining towards ‘mey’, and this was adding another level of divinity to his art as well. Inevitably, he found himself in a bekthashi lodge in no time flat, and he got accepted by ‘Sutluce Bektashi Lodge’.