orhan veli kanık was born at number 9 çayır alley on the i̇shak ağa climb in yalıköy beykoz, on 13 april 1914. his father mehmet veli was the son of fehmi bey, a merchant from i̇zmir, while his mother was fatma nigar, hacı ahmet bey's daughter from beykoz. according to the population registry, his birth name is ahmet orhan, but he came to be known as orhan veli after his father before a surname law was enacted in turkey. his father, veli kanık was a clarinetist in the imperial military band at the time of his marriage. he became a conductor when the band moved to ankara to become the presidential symphony orchestra after the declaration of republic in turkey. because of this new position, as well as that of a professor of harmony in music teachers' school (later ankara state conservatory) he lived in ankara between the years 1923–1948. veli bey also served for a while as a director at ankara radio during this period. later on he moved to istanbul conservatory to serve as a member of its scientific board, and he also worked as an audio specialist in i̇stanbul radio. orhan veli had two younger siblings: journalist adnan veli kanık of vatan newspaper and füruzan yolyapan. it appears the poet also had a baby sister named ayşe zerrin who died in ankara at the age of one.