The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared 2023 as the "Year of Âşık Veysel" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his passing. However, the devastating earthquake that struck on February 6, 2023, prevented this significant year from being celebrated as it deserved. To make up for this loss, commemorative events honoring Âşık Veysel continued throughout 2024—one notable example being the "1st International Symposium on Âşık Veysel and the Tradition of Aşıklık in Science, Art, and Society," organized by Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts between March 21–23, 2024.
As the Center for Social Research, we are honored and delighted to present to you the December 2024 special issue of Journal of TAM Academy, titled "Âşık Veysel and the Tradition of Minstrelsy" in support of this symposium’s scholarly and cultural contributions and to share Âşık Veysel’s profound legacy in Turkish folk literature and culture with a wider audience.
