The first of the storytelling program titled “Âşık Kerem Erzurum’a Varanda”, which will continue throughout 2025 within the scope of the “EİT 2025 Tourism Capital Erzurum” activities of the Turkish Language and Literature Association (TDED) Erzurum Branch, with the support of the EİT 2025 Tourism Capital Coordination and Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality, was held at the Sümmani Baba Aşıklar and Tradition House.
The opening speech of the program hosted by Selma Uygur was made by TDED Erzurum Branch President Murat Ertaş. TDED Erzurum Branch President Murat Ertaş stated that Erzurum is a very important city that has and keeps the cultural richness of the Turkish world and Anatolia alive, as it is a city waiting for the passage between Anatolia and the Caucasus and Turkistan; at the crossroads of trade, migration and army routes, and stated that Âşık Kerem is an important cultural asset of both the Turkish world and Erzurum, just like Köroğlu and Dede Korkut. Mayor Murat Ertaş thanked the EİT 2025 Tourism Capital Coordination and Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality and expressed their happiness and pride in restarting the forgotten folk storytelling.
Then, theater artist and educator, TDED Erzurum Board Member Selim Adım provided information on “meddah and storytelling” in Turkish culture and then told the story of Kerem and Aslı’s birth adventure in Isfahan. After the story told by Selim Adım, Metin Kara gave examples from folk songs with lyrics by Âşık Kerem. Selim Adım said that the rest of the story will be told in the program three weeks later and in the same venue.
The program was met with great interest from Erzurum residents and tourists.
