Fikret Türkmen

Folk Literature Researcher, Researcher, Folklorist

Birth
04 July, 1945
Education
Atatürk University Faculty of Literature Department of Turkish Language and Literature
Horoscope

Researcher of folklore and folk literature (b. 4 July 1945, Abdili village / Boğazlıyan / Yozgat). He finished primary school in his village and secondary school in Boğazlıyan. He graduated from Bursa Işıklar Military High School and Atatürk University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Turkish Language and Literature (1967). After he worked as a teacher in Konya, he became an assistant of Folk Literature at Erzurum Atatürk University (1968). He completed his doctorate there. His doctorate thesis was Âşık Garip Üzerine Mukayeseli Bir Araştırm (Comparative Research on the Minstrel Garip, 1972). Going to France in 1974 and participating in courses, seminars and conferences related to folklore methodology and folklore literature given by Prof. Dr. Pertev Naili Boratav at the Sorbonne in Paris, he later returned to his department. He became associate professor in 1980 and professor in 1986 at Ege University, Faculty of Literature to where he had been appointed in 1978. His associate professorship thesis was Tahir ile Zühre (Tahir and Zühre), his professorship thesis was Nasreddin Hoca Fıkraları (Anecdotes of Nasreddin Hoca). He gave courses at İzmir Dokuz Eylül University and Ege University. In addition to being the Director of the Research Institute of the Turkic World at Ege University, he continued as President of the Turkish Folklore Foundation Information Branch and as a member of the Management Committee of the Turkish Language Association. He is a member of the Professional Association of Scientific and Literary Work Owners of Turkey, the Research Institute of Turkish Culture and Science Committee at the Turkish Language Association. He speaks French.

An honorary doctorate was given to him by the Azerbaijan State University in 1992. With his work Manas Destanı (Epic Poem of Manas), he received the Manas-1000 Merit Award in 1995. He also received the Award of Services to the Turkic World given by the Turkish World Writers and Artists Foundation in addition to the Turkmenistan Service Award in 1996. He is known for his research on folk stories.  He completed the project Ege Bölgesi Sözlü ve Yazılı Kültür Ürünlerinin Derlenmesi Projesi (Anthology of Written and Oral Cultural Works of the Aegean Region) in 1990. He organized the project Türk Dünyası Destanlarının Tespiti, Türkiye Türkçesine Aktarılması ve Yayımlanması Projesi (Project of Determining Turkish Epic Poems, Their Translation into Modern Turkish and their Publication) which planned to publish epic poems in 140 books and was supported by the State Planning Organization. His book Aşık Garip (Aşık Garip) was translated into Italian. He has participated in many congresses and conferences in Turkey and abroad and his articles have been published in foreign languages (French and Russian). He has written many papers, reports and articles.

WORKS:

Âşık Garip Hikâyesi Üzerine Mukayeseli Bir Araştırma (Comparative Research on the Aşık Garip, 1974), Tahir ile Zühre Hikâyesi (Story of Tahir and Zühre, 1983, 2nd edition with additions, 1998), Aziya (Aziya, with Kâmil V. Nerimanoğlu and M. Öner, 1992), Letâif-i Nasreddin Hoca (Anecdotes of Nasreddin Hodja, Burhaniye Translation, review and explanation, 1989; 2nd edition with additions, 1998), Türk Halk Edebiyatının Ermeni Kültürüne Tesiri (Effect of Turkish Folk Literature on Armenian Culture, 1992, with Prof.Dr. Kamil Veli Nerimanoğlu and Mustafa Öner), Sahada Folklor Deneme Teknikleri (Techniques of Folklore Experiments in the Field, 1992), Manas Destanı Üzerine İncelemeler - Çeviriler I (The Epic Poem of Manas, Reviews and Translations 1, 1995), Manas Destanı (Epic Poem of Manas, with Alimcan İnayet, 1995), Türkmen Şiiri Antolojisi (Anthology of Turkmen Poetry, with Gurbandurdı Geldiyev, 1995), Halkbilimi Yöntemi (Method of Folklore, with K. Krohn J. Krohn and Günsel İçöz, 1995), Nasreddin Hoca Latifelerinin Şerhi (Explanation of the Anecdotes of Nasreddin Hoca, Burhaniye Translation, 1999).

His translations from English have also been published.

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