ÂŞIK SANATININ AKTARIMINDA GELENEKSEL MEDYANIN ROLÜ: TRT AVAZ KÜLTÜRDEN MEDENİYETE PROGRAMI
THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA IN THE TRANSMISSION OF TURKISH MINSTREL (ÂŞIK) ART: THE TRT AVAZ PROGRAM FROM CULTURE TO CIVILIZATION

Summary/Abstract: This study aims to examine how the âşıklık (minstrelsy) tradition—an integral component of Turkish culture—is represented in contemporary media contexts. In particular, the program titled From Culture to Civilization, broadcast on TRT Avaz, one of Turkey's traditional media outlets, is analyzed as a concrete example of this representation. As the official state cultural channel, TRT Avaz designs its programming in alignment with its institutional vision and mission, regularly featuring traditional values and elements of cultural heritage. The program brings various aspects of folk culture to the public. Of particular relevance to this study is the fact that, during its 2014–2015 broadcast period on TRT Avaz—and now only available on YouTube—the program included a dedicated episode titled The Minstrelsy (Âşıklık) Tradition, focusing exclusively on the art of the âşık, a significant figure in Turkey’s oral tradition. Although the overall format of the program was not originally conceived as one centered on minstrelsy, the attention given to the tradition in this special episode is noteworthy in terms of the visibility and transmission of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through media. In this context, the study is grounded in the values set forth by UNESCO within the framework of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), aiming to evaluate the processes of preserving, promoting, and transmitting cultural heritage to younger generations through public broadcasting from a folkloristic perspective. The research is structured within a qualitative methodological framework and is supported by a content analysis of the aforementioned episode aired on TRT Avaz. Furthermore, the representational strategies employed in the program are examined through its structural elements, narrative techniques, and language of presentation. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that cultural programs produced by public broadcasters can function as effective tools for the safeguarding and intergenerational transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

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