HASAN KILCA: THE TRADITION OF MINSTRELSY, ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS CULTURAL RICHES OF ANATOLIA

HASAN KILCA: WE PRESENT THIS YEAR'S KONYA MINSTRELS' DAY TO ALL OUR BRAVE MEN.

The 55th Konya Minstels' Day with the theme of "National Technology" by Karatay Municipality has come to an end. The final program, held with the participation of 35 minstrels and folk poets from 5 countries and 19 cities, got full marks from the people of Konya. Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, emphasized that the tradition of minstrelsy is one of the most precious cultural riches of Anatolia and said the following;  Our minstrels serve as a valuable bridge between our generations with this tradition, which spreads to our entire heartland from their string and tongue with their words and tones. We, the Karatay Municipality, are proud to protect and contribute to this heritage.”

The 55th "Konya Minstrels' Day" final program, also included the late folk poet Aşık Veysel, was held with broad participation.

Before the final program of the organization held with the theme of "National Technology" this year, minstrels and folk poets performed an outdoor performance in Mevlana Square, Government Square, Culture Park, in front of Karatay Municipality service building and Zafer Square.

Minstrels and folk poets showed all their paces in the final program at Karatay Youth Center. The program, in which the people of Konya showed great interest, started with the National Anthem. Then, 35 minstrels and folk poets from 19 different cities of Turkey, along with Azerbaijan, Iraq, Georgia, and Iran, conquered the hearts with their epical folk poems and folk songs.  In addition to the poetry slam in the program, the dudak değmez (two minstrels throwing verses at each other where lips do not touch each) shows received full marks. The jury members of the program are Prof. Ali Yakici, Prof. Dr. Sinan Gonen, and Dr. Faculty Member Aziz Ayva.

THE TRADITION OF MINSTRELSY, ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS CULTURAL RICHES OF ANATOLIA

In his speech, Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, emphasized that the tradition of minstrelsy is one of the most precious cultural riches of Anatolia.

Mayor Hasan Kılca said, “Konya is the voice of our minstrels and poets. There is no other cultural event held for the 55th time in any city in Turkey. This beauty is unique to our Konya. In 2019, we hosted the 53rd Minstrels' Day and the "54th Minstrels' Day", which we presented to the Karabakh victory last year. We, the Karatay Municipality, are happy to host the 55th one this year. Yahya Kemal said, “We have three major arts, above the world average, apart from state-building and military service. These are architecture, poetry, and music. The minstrels, who are the sultans of the lyrics, as it is known, form a distinguished aspect of our literature.  In a sense, they are the mirror of the people with their works. The tradition of minstrelsy, one of the most precious cultural riches of Anatolia, is a unique art with its poetry, music, and storytelling that has survived centuries of experience. Minstrelsy, with its specific performance and tradition-based infrastructure, constitutes a crucial part of our cultural treasure. Our minstrels serve as a valuable bridge between our generations with this tradition, which spreads to our entire heartland from their string and tongue with their words and tones

HASAN KILCA: WE PRESENT THIS YEAR'S MINSTRELS' DAY TO ALL OUR BRAVE MEN.

Hasan Kılca who stated that the program was held with the theme of 'National Technology' this year, said: "Minstrelsy and national technology both come from our souls and are among the most precious products of the children of this land. National Technology has become a struggle for independence for our country, especially in recent years, and has come a long way. In this success, there is a contribution of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has taken steps by protecting our national and moral values, as well as all our brave heroes who have made great efforts for this cause. We also wanted to applaud all of our brave men who have great efforts in the progress and development of our country, through the lyrics of our minstrels, on the 55th Minstrels' Day, by referring to this. We, the Karatay Municipality, will continue to contribute to the performance of this common culture for many years and host this valuable atmosphere of our district. I believe that Karatay's thousands of years of historical identity and the minstrel culture will form a crucial wholeness."

MAYOR KILCA DOES NOT FORGET FEYZİ HALICI, ALİ BERAT ALPTEKIN AND SEZAI KARAKOÇ

Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, does not forget Sezai Karakoç, the poet, author and intellectual, who passed away recently. Underlining that this year's Konya Minstrels' Festival was a bit sad and a bit painful due to the death of Sezai Karakoç, Kılca said: Protecting our children, young people, families, and social fabric from the devastating attacks they are exposed to requires a new awareness and new attention, thus the resurrection of our generations. Culture and art are the symbols of independence, just like the land and the flag. It is the people of culture, the people of literature, the people of art and their products, not the archives, who keep the most authentic and solid records of the nation's life. I hereby wish Allah's mercy upon our masters Feyzi Halıcı and Ali Berat Alptekin, who have made great efforts in organizing the Minstrels' Day in our city since 1966. I want to state once again that we are determined to expand this hope, to enrich the cultural life, and to stand by all artistic activities, artists, writers, intellectuals, and scholars. I would like to express my love and gratitude to all our minstrels and folk poets who contributed to the 55th Minstrels' Day with the theme of 'National Technology', from home and abroad, for the hope and excitement they gave us and our cultural world, and of course, the culture and art people of our city who honored our program. Thank you to all our guests who participated.

At the end of the program, Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, thanked the jury members, minstrels, folk poets, and people of Konya who participated in the 55th Konya Minstrels' Day, held with the theme of "National Technology"