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A program titled "Friends Remember Him" was organized at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMÜ) to commemorate the 50th death anniversary of Âşık Veysel.
The event was part of the "2023 UNESCO World Âşık Veysel Year" organized by the OMU Hacı Bektaşi Veli Research Group. Gündüz Şatıroğlu, Âşık Veysel's granddaughter and a member of the Advisory Board of the Âşık Veysel Culture Association, also attended the program.
OMÜ Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Selim Eren, speaking about the significance of Âşık Veysel in our culture, said, "The practice of minstrelsy is a tradition that has been ongoing since ancient Turks. This tradition is the main carrier of culture. Minstrels are the cultural treasure of a society. Veysel holds a significant place in our culture and is a personality that will not be forgotten for generations. It is our duty to commemorate this person who emerged from the heart of Anatolia and made us feel Anatolia in every thread. Today, I would like to conclude my speech by recalling a valuable saying of Âşık Veysel that has been etched in our minds: 'Let friends remember us.'
Gündüz Şatıroğlu gave a presentation about her grandfather Âşık Veysel's memories at the program held at the OMU Congress and Cultural Center.
Şatıroğlu stated that her grandfather greatly valued the youth, and she, like her grandfather, tried to participate in the organizations conducted by the youth. She expressed that the young people feel emotional as if they have met Âşık Veysel himself, when they see his granddaughter or any relative. "It is very honorable to be in such a flurry of emotions. I have created an archive of Âşık Veysel, and in that archive, we will discuss what I saw and felt about Âşık Veysel with the youth. This archive is built on what my father, Bahri Şatıroğlu, protected and wrote. It includes magazines, newspapers, books, gramophone records, and many materials related to him collected from second-hand bookstores. We will talk about these. And if they have things they want to hear, see, ask, we will also focus on them," she said.
Şatıroğlu emphasized that the Âşık Veysel Culture Association was founded by Âşık Veysel himself, noting, "My grandfather founded the association in 1972 while he was still alive. I was the president of the association from 2015-2018. During that period, we also did many projects with the youth. Âşık Veysel met with the youth at many universities like Hacettepe University, Başkent University, and Ufuk University. Currently, I am a member of the advisory board of the association. The association is still actively continuing its activities, and of course, I provide all the support I can."
Mustafa Bilir, who continues the tradition of minstrelsy in Samsun with the pseudonym "Aşık Obalı," performed some of Âşık Veysel's works at the program.
Members of the OMU Hacı Bektaşi Veli Research Group performed a poetry recital.
The program was attended by OMU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Selim Eren, OMU Rector Advisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şener Şentürk, Chairman of the OMU Hacı Bektaşi Veli Research Group Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Gül, as well as other academics and students.
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