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Turk Kulturu ve Haci Bektas Veli - Arastirma Dergisi, no.117, pp.21-41, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)
Throughout history, within the Anatolian cultural landscape, Sufi thought has played a decisive role in establishing religious and cultural continuity and in strengthening social solidarity and a sense of unity through modes of expression such as poetry and music, is built upon an intellectual depth that guides the human search for existential meaning and moving “from the outward (zāhir) to the inward (bāṭin).” Sufism has reflected the essence of Islam—shaped by human values, moral virtues, and principles of tolerance—through poetry and music. In this context, poetry and music have functioned both as spaces for individual contemplation and as effective instruments of social integration, playing a role in the construction of collective identity, the transmission of spiritual values, and the continuity of cultural memory. Within the oral cultural tradition, the ashik (âṣik) tradition that flourished in Anatolia’s religious and cultural structure has been effective in preserving and transmitting collective memory. Thus, beyond being a field of poetic and musical production, the ashik tradition has enabled the intergenerational transmission of Sufi thought, religious practices, and social values. Ashiks raised within the Alevi-Bektashi belief milieu, especially in periods when written sources were limited, became actors who conveyed religious knowledge and rendered religious practice visible by expressing and disseminating Sufi teachings in the vernacular through forms such as deyiş, nefes, duvaz or duvazimam, devriye, and others. In this context, Meftuni—the subject of this study—is a multifaceted ashik who blends Sufi thought with artistic creativity and reflects traces of profound inner experience in his oral and musical productions. He is among the important representatives who perform the religious aspect of the ashik-style poetic tradition, shaped by the influence of the tekke (dervish lodge) tradition, as part of the twelve services (on iki hizmet) in Anatolian Alevi cem rituals. Actively participating in both ritual (erkân) and non-ritual performances, Meftuni’s Sufi discourse integrates with the emotional world of the people, presenting a meaningful unity on both individual and social levels. In this respect, he carries the aesthetic, religious, and intellectual continuity of the Anatolian Sufi tradition into the modern era. This study aims to address the Alevi-Bektashi elements in the poetry of Âşık Seyit Meftuni within the scope of this article, outlining them thematically and conceptually. It is structured around qualitative research methods, including analysis and document review. Limited to the Alevi-Bektashi elements in Meftuni’s poetry, the study examines 1,043 poems. To facilitate understanding of the subject, the study includes an introductory overview of Alevism-Bektashism and the ashik tradition, as well as an examination of Meftuni’s life and literary personality. In line with the Ahl al-Bayt-centered approach in his poetry, Alevi-Bektashi elements are analyzed, leading to the study’s conclusions.