Analysis of Aşık Yaşar Reyhani's poems on the theme of homelandin terms of values education

Since the beginning of the formation process of Turkish identity, one of the fundamental principles of the Turkish people has been to protect the homeland, flag, nation, and culture, and to pass these values on to future generations. This process of transmission has diversified over time and has gained an institutional structure through educational institutions. While these institutions aim to raise young generations as well-equipped individuals in terms of education, they also seek to bring up individuals who possess national consciousness, are just, devoted to their homeland, full of love for humanity, sensitive to religious and cultural values, and responsible toward their families and environment. Values education, which is included in the national education system, aims to help students acquire national, moral, cultural, and spiritual values. It is based on the principle that these values should not be limited to certain age groups but should encompass individuals of all ages. In educational processes, one of the primary goals of the curriculum is to raise students who protect and sustain cultural values, love their flag, and strive to elevate it. While each subject aims to instill a specific value in students, it is of great importance that these values are conveyed in a way that aligns with the individual's interests and level of perception to ensure the effectiveness of the process. In the context of values education, it is important to use materials and methods that align with students' individual interests. In this regard, Turkish language and literature courses include various literary genres as well as folk poetry (âşık literature). Through the lives and poems of folk poets (âşıks), students are introduced to important values. The moral and social themes in their poems offer significant contributions to values education. Within this scope, the life, artistic journey, and poetry of Âşık Yaşar Reyhani aim to convey values such as justice, friendship, honesty, self-control, patience, respect, love, responsibility, patriotism, and helpfulness to students. Âşık Yaşar Reyhani, as one of the strong representatives of the 20th-century minstrel tradition, educated, raised awareness in, and guided society through his poems. While reminding readers of the dark periods of the past, he vividly depicted the years of national struggle through his poetry. However, he did not only focus on the past; he also offered advice and suggestions to contemporary people. Successfully representing the minstrel tradition, Âşık Yaşar Reyhani created his poems with a sense of responsibility and advised all members of his nation to become individuals who are conscious of and committed to their homeland, flag, and culture. Addressing people of all ages, he played an important role in transmitting cultural heritage from past to future through his poetry.