TURKISH HUMANİSM AND THE POETRY OF YUNUS EMRE

Humanism has been an abiding tradition in Turkish culture from theearliest times until the present day. Before settling in Anatolia and conversion to islam , Turks had already acquired humanistic attitudes as a resultof the vicissitudes they experienced in long periods of exodus and briefsojourns - -changes of locale, shifting cultural orientation, new religiousaffiliations, warfare against many nations and communities, struggle forsurvival in the face of natural disasters -ali of which created a sense of life'simpermaneney as well as the eoneept of the human element withstandingthe ravages of a hostile world. Contact with diverse peoples gave the Turksa faculty for easy intercourse based on latitudinarian views. Cataclysmicsocial and cultural changes instilled in them a sense of confidence in thehuman value rather than reliance on institutions.