I translated this very famous poem of Atilla İlhan. It is a really touching poem. 
And I gave the link of Ahmet Kaya´s great song of this poem. I hope you like it.

CİNAYET SAATİ
MURDER HOUR

 haliç´te bir vapuru vurdular dört kişi
demirlemişti eli kolu bağlıydı ağlıyordu
dört bıçak çekip vurdular dört kişi
yemyeşil bir ay gökte dağılıyordu

four people stabbed a steamship in haliç
he was anchored, his arms were tied, he was crying
drawing four knives, four people stabbed him
a green moon was dispersing in the sky

 deli cafer ismail tayfur ve şaşı
maktulün onbeş yıllık arkadaşı
üçü kamarot öteki aşçıbaşı
dört bıçak çekip vurdular dört kişi

crazy cafer, ismail, tayfur and cross-eyed
victim´s friends of  15 years
three of them are stewards, other is head cook
drawing four knives, four people stabbed him

 cinayeti kör bir kayıkçı gördü
ben gördüm kulaklarım gördü
vapur kudurdu kuduz gibi böğürdü
hiç biriniz orada yoktunuz

a blind boatman saw the murder
i saw, my ears saw
steamship got mad, he screamed like a mad man
none of you were there.


demirlemişti eli kolu bağlıydı ağlıyordu
on üç damla gözyaşını saydım
allahına kitabına sövüp saydım
şafak nabız gibi atıyordu
sarhoştum kasımpaşa´daydım
hiç biriniz orada yoktunuz

he was anchored, his arms were tied, he was crying
i counted his 13 teardrops
i cursed god and holy book
dawn was beating like heart
i was drunk, i was in kasımpaşa
none of you were there.


haliç´te bir vapuru vurdular dört kişi
polis kaatilleri arıyordu
deli cafer ismail tayfur ve şaşı
üzerime yüklediler bu işi
sarhoştum kasımpaşa´daydım
vapuru onlar vurdu ben vurmadım
cinayeti kör bir kayıkçı gördü
ben vursam kendimi vuracaktım


four people stabbed a steamship in haliç
police was looking for murderers 
crazy cafer, ismail, tayfur and cross-eyed
they imputed this misdeed to me
i was drunk, i was in kasımpaşa
they stabbed the steamship, i didn´t
a blind boatman saw the murder
if I stabbed, i would stab myself

Attila İLHAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzFiignZBG4

Am I the only one who doesn´t understand this? What does the steamship stand for?

My interpretion is like this. Steamship is steamship. Four people who stabbed it were sick of working in difficult conditions in it and they held the steamship responsible for this and they stabbed it. That is how I understand the poem.

deli cafer ismail tayfur ve şaşı
maktulün onbeş yıllık arkadaşı

Maybe. These lines support your interpretation. So it is a labor-movement song actually.

But ships and boats and ferries and frigates and caravels and vessels and canoos and whatever are always female, gokuyum.

Yes I agree. Those lines made me think so. By the way objects don´t have genders in Turkish. If you want you can think them as a female or male. Even "Türkiye" is a female name, most of the people would call her "he" instead of "she". Interesting.

For me Turkey is she also.