THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH ATTRACTED GREAT ATTENTION, WAS HELD WITH THE THEME OF "LOYALTY TO AŞIK VEYSEL"

HASAN KILCA: KARATAY MEANS LOYALTY

HASAN KILCA: THE BARDS FEAST IN KONYA IS AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THIS CULTURE

AHMET SORGUN: THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A TRADITION

The 56th Konya Bards Feast, organized by Karatay Municipality with the theme of "Loyalty to Aşık Veysel" this year, ended. The program, which was held with the participation of 37 bards from 4 countries and 24 cities, received full marks from the people of Konya. AK Party Konya Deputy Ahmet Sorgun, emphasizing that the Bards Feast in Konya has a special meaning for him said; “There is no future for those who do not have a tradition. We need to continue to uphold these values of ours,” . Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca also stated that the culture of bards is very important for our history. Mayor Hasan Kılca used the expressions; "Karatay means history, means tradition, means culture. Karatay means science, wisdom and loyalty,”.

The final of the "56th Konya Bards Feast", which has been hosted by Karatay Municipality for 4 years, was held with an intense participation.

Before the final program of the organization held with the theme ”Loyalty to Aşık Veysel", minstrels and folk bards; made a short-term open space show in Mevlana Square, in front of Karatay Municipality, in Kültür Park; Government Square and Gedavet Road within the scope of the events.

A MAGNIFICENT FINALE TO THE 2-DAY CULTURAL FEAST AT KARATAY YOUTH CENTER

The final program of 56th Konya Bards Feast was held at Karatay Youth Center with the participation of 37 bards and minstrels from 4 countries and 24 cities. Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca, AK Party Konya Deputy Ahmet Sorgun, Konya Provincial Police Chief Engin Dinç, Konya Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Abdüssettar Yarar, Konya Regional Director of Manuscripts Bekir Şahin, AK Party Karatay District Chairman Mehmet Genç, Aşık Veysel's granddaughter Nazender Süzer Gökçe, Poet and Writer Feyzi Halıcı's wife Bahar Halıcı and Konya residents attended the program which received full marks from people of Konya.

KONYA BARDS FEAST IS A TOUCHSTONE

Nazender Süzer Gökçe, the granddaughter of Aşık Veysel, who participated in the program, stated that she was very happy to participate in the 56th Konya Bards Festival. Gökçe stated that his grandfather Aşık Veysel also participated in Konya Bards Feast in 1966 as the guest of honor; "In this context, Konya Minstrels Festival is a touchstone for bards culture. I would like to thank Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca very much for organizing this program, which we consider important in terms of transferring the culture of bards to future generations,”she said.

THANKS TO KARATAY MUNICIPALITY FROM FOLK BARDS

After two days of open-air performances at various points of the city within the scope of the 56th Konya Bards Feast, the minstrels who came together at the Karatay Youth Center for the final of the organization thanked Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca for hosting the Konya Bards Feast. The bards, who expressed that the people of Konya showed great interest in them, emphasized that Konya Bards Feast is of great importance in keeping the minstrelsy culture alive, protecting it and transferring it to the future.

FULL NOTE FROM CITIZENS TO KONYA BARDS FEAST

This year, the 56th feast was held with the theme ”Loyalty to Aşık Veysel". The citizens of Konya who participated in the Konya Bards Feast also spoke about the importance of the program. Citizens said; “I am happy to participate in the Konya Bards Feast organized by Karatay Municipality. This is our culture, our values. It is a gratifying situation for us that this is being taken care of. I would like to thank the Karatay Municipality, which organized the program, very much,”.

BARDS ARE A VERY IMPORTANT PRODUCT OF OUR HISTORY, A BIG AND UNCHANGEABLE PART OF OUR CULTURE

Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca in his speech at the opening of the organization emphasized that they are determined to keep the tradition of Bards alive, to carry this ancient culture further and to announce this accumulation identified with Karatay to the world.

Mayor Hasan Kılca said“The tradition of bards is a very important product of our history with its word, its reed, its story, and it is a big and unchangeable part of our culture. If we try to look for the history of this tradition, we don't know how many centuries ago we would go back. The only thing we know is this: “We are the sons of a civilization of words.” Our word is our bond. The word comes out of our hearts and enters into our hearts. The word ends the war in us, restores and revives hearts! The strength and power of the word is hidden in the navel of the bards! I don't know how to describe bards! They tell stories of heroism, love, reunion from young to old, from 7 to 70. They pass on our tradition, talk about our accumulation of civilization! While their words and reeds reach the sky at the same time, they become to us sometimes a friend, sometimes a father, sometimes a lover, sometimes a teacher, sometimes a mountain on which to lean our backs! While they beautify the world with their reed, they work on the heart with their stories, and pithy words. They tell people about people, they introduce people to the world! They open the eyes that do not see, announce it to the ears that do not hear, shatter the hearts! In bards, the issue is to show loyalty to the master-apprentice relationship as well as ability. Speaking words, hitting the strum is undoubtedly a difficult process. Being a bard is a matter of both ability and patience. Both as apprentices and masters, the bards teach patience, effort and perseverance to those who aspire to this blessed work. This very valuable tradition of our ancient heritage depicts and describes the relationship between the heart-lore-sufism-art of our holy nation,”he said.

KARATAY MEANS SCIENCE, MEANS WISDOM, MEANS THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

Describing Konya as the birthplace of civilization in Anatolia, Hasan Kılca emphasized the importance of Karatay for Konya and our country and said the following: “Hazrat Mevlana, who gave soul to Seljuks, is in Karatay! The madrasahs that show the double-headed Seljuk eagle as a target both east and west are in Karatay! The hands supporting the victories of our heroic army with spirituality have risen to the sky in Karatay! In this regard, Karatay means history, it means tradition, it means culture! Karatay means science, means knowledge, means the past and the future! If we express Karatay in one word; it means loyalty! Based on this deep-rooted heritage of our district, we continue to protect the values not only of our Karatay, but also of our Konya, our Turkey, our Turkish-Islamic world, in short, our entire world of hearts! Because we know that loyalty is not just a neighborhood name. Loyalty, it suits Konya the most! Loyalty, it suits Karatay the most! Loyalty suits us the most! History is a witness that the other name of Karatay, which is a bridge to future from the past, is loyalty! Fulfilling the Decency of this loyalty, we bring our bards together as we have been for years; we support them and ensure that they are introduced on a national and international scale with these meetings.”

KONYA BARDS FEAST IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR THE PRESERVATION, DEVELOPMENT AND SPREAD OF THE CULTURE OF BARDS ALL OVER THE WORLD

Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca, at the end of his speech, gave the message that they will continue to stand by the tradition of bards, which is the cornerstone of our culture, and lovers.

Mayor Hasan Kılca; "I can't tell my troubles to people without troubles!" In the name of the cherished memory of Aşık Veysel, who said "I can't tell my troubles to people without troubles!", this program, organized with the theme of "Loyalty to Aşık Veysel", will hopefully be an important turning point for the protection, development and spread of bards culture all over the world! As I conclude my words, I wish God's mercy to the late Aşık Feyzi Halıcı, Ali Berat Alptekin and all our bards who have passed away from past to present, who were instrumental in the start of Bards Feast. I would like to express my gratitude and respect to our minstrels from all over our country and geography of our heart who participated in our program, lovers of reed and word, and all my minstrel brothers and sisters who showed loyalty to Aşık Veysel. I would like to thank all my colleagues who have contributed to this program and who strive to show that Karatay is a city of culture, art, history and civilization worthy of its past and to carry it further."

THERE IS NO FUTURE WITHOUT TRADITION

AK Party Konya Deputy Ahmet Sorgun thanked Karatay Municipality for organizing the 56th Konya Bards Feast and stated that he was happy to participate in such an important and meaningful program.

Ahmet Sorgun concluded his words as follows; "The theme of the 56th Konya Bards Feast is loyalty. We received loyalty from our elders and our values, and we need to protect this value. More importantly, we say that those who have no tradition have no future. There are two programs that I remember from my childhood. One is Hazrat Mevlana Ceremonies and the other is Konya Bards Feast. Bards are troubled people. Those who have no problems are burdens on the world. Therefore, minstrels are people worth listening to more than anyone else. We came to listen to our minstrels this evening. I would like to thank Karatay Municipality for organizing the program."

After the documentary about Aşık Veysel's life, the program continued with a short theatrical performance about Aşık Veysel. Bards and folk poets showed all their skills in the final program at the Karatay Youth Center. The program, to which the people of Konya showed great interest, started with the National Anthem. Later, a total of 37 bards from 24 different provinces of Turkey participated in the program together with Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; conquered all hearts with discourses, folk songs, with lullabies and flourishes .

In addition to the call-and-response duets performed in the program, the lip-worthy (dudakdeğmez) performances also received full marks from the people of Konya. On the other hand, the jury members of the program were Prof. Dr. Özkul Çobanoğlu, Pof. Dr. Sinan Gönen, Prof. Dr. Atilla Özdek and Dr. Lecturer Aziz Ayva.