Politics in Turkish folk literature

Folk literature is one of the most important aspects reflecting experiences and characters of nations and enabling them to build their future. In this respect, folk literature constitutes the essential character of nations. Turkish folk literature, being shaped within the experiences of centuries, having certain rules, consisting of values which are transferred from generations to generations, is maintained both in written and oral traditions during all eras. What lies at the heart of Turkish folk literature works are not only cultural values patterns belonging the culture they are based on but also morality. In this sense, besides elements such as religion, tradition and contemporary life, politics also holds an important role. The Turks having a history of approximately 4000 years, have scattered all over the world since the day they stepped on the stage of history and have established many states under various names, thus forming both political and social side of the great Turkish civilization. Therefore, the politics that constitute the base of the states established by the Turks are not only very old but also deeply rooted. Both political phenomena having been important in each period hitherto and various disciplines related to this phenomenon take place in a wide range in Turkish folk literature works. The subject of this study "Politics in Turkish Folk Literature" constitutes the reflection of the topics being determined according to the various dynamics forming up political science in the samples of different types of folk literature and the literary works, the first period written works of Turkish folk literature which holds an important place in the wide cultural area. In this context, literature and politics, which seem to be quite different disciplines from one another, appear to be quite integrated in Turkish culture.