Composed versions of the enthusiastic verse texts that reflect the characteristics of the state and nation they belong in the international representations and national days of the states and evoke the national values in peoples are called the "National Anthem". Turkish Nation whose past is full of glory, honor and heroism has an official national anthem in 1921 with the approval of the I. Parliament Government. It was used in different anthems also besides the official anthem that changed periodically during the Ottoman Empire. During the National Struggle period, Mehmet Akif Bey's poem "Soldier's Prayer" was composed and used, but the need for a new anthem was felt. Competition with general participation was organized after this need conveyed to the Ministry of Education through General Ismet Pasha. 724 poets participated in this competition held in late 1920 until the deadline of 23 December. Among these participants, there was Yusuf Cemil Bey, who was the senator for Kütahya in The First Parliament. The poem, which consists of two continents and two refrains, was written in Ankara in 1921. However, the poem was examined by a committee and could not be selected among the seven poems submitted to the Assembly because it has not contained the desired conditions. Since we don't know any list of the poets and poems participating in the contest of Independence March, which is an important detail in our history and is among the permanent articles of the constitution, every piece of information is valuable for the point of knowing the poems and poets of the contest. With this article, Yusuf Cemil Bey, one of these poets, and his poem "lndependence March" were introduced, and the usage of the national anthems in the Ottoman Empire and the basic stages of the Turkish National Anthem contest were examined.