Turkish philosophy of war and its appearance in Turkish literature (In the example of 16th-century soldier poets)

In order to ensure both their existence and continuity, states must engage in constant contact, negotiation, and monitoring with other states, and are at times inevitably confronted with war. As a persistent reality throughout history, war transforms in nature and scale with changes in tools, technologies, and methods. Wars—driven by economic, political, global, scientific, technological, and informational factors—continue to exist alongside states and have even contributed to the formation of civilizations. However, the impact of war is not limited to the state alone; it also affects the core elements that constitute the state. The most significant and defining of these elements is the individual—the human being who forms the nation. People's attitudes and experiences related to war reflect their moral framework, worldview, and ultimately the character of the nation itself. The fact that Turks have historically stood out as a military nation ("ordu-millet") and are recognized for their martial tradition underscores the need for further research into this distinctive identity. In this context, this thesis explores the Turkish understanding of war, particularly through the lens of the ghaza (holy war) philosophy, focusing on soldier-poets (asker şairler) of the 16th-century Ottoman Empire and the war-related concepts present in their works. The study provides an overview of the 16th-century Ottoman political history, the major wars of the period, and Classical Turkish literature. Prominent first-tier soldier-poets of the century have been identified based on literary historical criteria. The martial themes found in their divans (poetry collections) are analyzed with a particular emphasis on the ghaza philosophy, especially regarding notions of glorification and spiritual purification.