Türklerde Yaşam Tarzı Olarak Göç Olgusu ‘Göç Yolda Düzelir’
Migration of Turks as a Lifestyle: ‘The Caravan Organises Itself on the Road’

Summary/Abstract: This study describes causes, processes and results of migration and illuminates the influence of cultural dimensions. Migration is a phenomenon that plays an important role in the life of both individuals and society. For the Turks, migration has also another significance; one of their oldest epic is the migration epic describing their migration from Central Asia-Khorasan to Anatolia. However, this settled life is still semi nomadic. With the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish migration continued towards the Balkan. In the late 18th century, a migration process appeared from Crimea, Crete, Macedonia and the Caucasus to Anatolia. In the 1950s, seasonal workers from poor regions of Anatolia settled in Cukurova and an internal migration process to Istanbul started. In the 1960s, the guest workers’ movement to various European countries occurred. Due to its geographical location, Turkey functions as a bridge connecting East and West. Immigration is an important subject of Turkish epics and folk stories and expressions in the context of the migration concept take an important place in the Turkish vocabulary. The most important characteristic of Turkish migration is the fact that it is unplanned. A wellknown Turkish proverb says: ‘The caravan organises itself on the road’. Migration provides bitterness, pain and sorrow, but these negative impacts can transfer into peace, joy and happiness. Such as life, migration enquires a great deal of effort and necessary tension. In case of mutual endeavour of both the individual and society, migration has the potential to be successfully and of added value.

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