Turkish folk culture and dance plays an important role in fostering national pride and unity. Various folk dances originate from different regions of Turkey and reflect the cultural influences and traditions of those areas. Some of the most well-known Turkish folk dances include the bar from Erzurum, the halay from eastern and southeastern Anatolia, the hora from Thrace, and the horon from the Black Sea region. Each dance tells aspects of Turkish cultural history and heritage through its unique movements, music, and traditions.

2. Our great leader MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK has explained
through one of his maxims that "the basic principle of the republic
of turkey is culture".
We believe that folk culture is a cornerstone for our natural
cohesion and unity. An overall development on various fields of
economic and social life can only be achieve through education and
culture. Cultural values that reflect our national pride and aesthetic
values are very important. We can as a stable society find our
spiritual, physical and aesthetic needs from the values of Turkish
folk culture.
The unusual wealth and variety of Turkish folk music and dance
attracts the attention of people from all over the world. Many of
the melodies and movements have very ancient origins stemming
from the many different aspects of Turkish culture that form the
background of modern Turkey.

3. The 'bar' in Erzurum
province, the 'halay' in the
east and southeast, the
'hora' in Thrace, the 'horon'
in the Black Sea, 'spoon
dances' in and around Konya
'lezginka' in Kars and
Ardahan and the Zeybek
are the best known
examples of these.

4. TURKISH FOLKDANCE MAP

5. BAR
With their structure and formation, they are
the dances performed by groups in the open.
They are spread, in general, over the eastern
part of Anatolia (Erzurum, Bayburt, Ağrı, Kars,
Artvin and Erzincan provinces).
The characteristic of their formation is that
they are performed side-by-side, hand,
shoulder and arm-in-arm. Woman and man bars
are different from one another. The principal
instruments of our bar dances are davul and
zurna

7. HALAY
This folk-dance, is a part of
Turkish dance and is performed
to a large extent in the Eastern,
South- Eastern And Central
Anatolia and it is one of the most
striking dances. It has a rich
figure structure. Simplicity is the
symbol of creation and originality
of the folk.

9. HORON
In this region, corn and the sea play an
important role in the local economy and
social life. One of the types of fish that
lives primarily in the black sea is the hamsi,
a kind of anchovy. This small fish is caught
in great numbers by the fishermen's nets.
One of the most characteristic movements,
in horon dances, is a fast shoulder shimmy
and a trembling of the entire body, which
imitates or suggests the movements of the
hamsi as it swims in the sea or struggles in
the nets for its life.

11. MİSKET
The game Seğmen tells about the
heroic stories of the Turkish
Independence War. The posture is
the most important characteristic
of the dance
SEĞMEN
It expresses a true love that was
experienced years ago.The game is
dominated by the foot movements
Played by three or four people. This
game is essentially three movements.

12. SPOON (KAŞIK) DANCES:
In central and Southern Anatolia, there are many
dances which are performed with a pair of wooden
spoons in each hand. A few centers of this type of
dance are Dinar, Bolu, Konya and Silifke. Many of the
spoon dances from Silifke, located along the
Mediterranean coast, features spoons with which
the dancers click out a lively rhythm while executing
quick, agile movements with their feet and arms.
Frequently, the songs tell of the migratory Turkmen
people. The lyrics describe their nomadic journeys,
or their daily routines when settled.

14. ZEYBEK
In contrast to the ferverish pitch common to
Karadeniz dances, the zeybek dances of
Western Anatolia, near the Aegean coast, are
slow and graceful.
The work zeybek refers to a man, who is a
brother, a friend, a protector of his people. In a
sense he is akin to a samurai type of figure.
Performed individually, in a circle or often as a
solo, the zeybek dance usually begins with the
man strutting boastfully to tight strains of
music.

16. ÜRK
Our Great Leader MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK,
while dancing ZEYBEK in İstanbul

17. KARŞILAMA
Karşılama, reciprocity, which means
take the road to welcome the sake
of arriving. Starts at a slow pace
becomes accelerated double drum
double flutes used in public places.
Thrace, Marmara and Black Sea
regions.

19. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
ÖZCE
AYDIN
CEM
AHMET
ERTAY,
THE TURKISH COMENIUS OCER GROUP