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Folklora is the most prestigious heritage of a
nation. İn its true sense, folklore is a nation's spirits, psychology,
and history. It is an invaluable treasure, the reflector of a nation's wishes
and desires, imagination and thinking, and the inner world. To add up more,
"The folklore gifted such wisdom to the geniuses of the East that on the
one hand it amazes the people and on the other hand earns respect for its
accuracy and preciseness" (2,13)*. It becomes difficult to understand,
perceive a nation's psychology, true history, its specific place in the
history of humanity, the stages of development, lifestyle, outlook, believes
and faith, customs and traditions without being aware of its folklore.
Folklore is the main force, which provides a nation's
integrity in its spirits, mind and conscience, doesn't let a nation apart
into pieces, forget its own roots, ancestors, which are immortalized and
turned to live memories in epics, tales, bayatis and legends (7, 3-4).
From this point, the folklore of an Azerbaijani-speaking
elat (a part of nation living as a group. The term can be applied to place
and people) -which had to separate from its roots for certain social-
political reasons and later on settled down amongst Arabs and Kurds, in the
North of Iraq, mainly in Kirkuk region and numbered 600 thousands in the 60
of XX century, but now totals up to 2,5 millions -is an essen- tial issue to
study (30, 8; 83, 36, 53; 25,13)
We don't use the term "Azerbaijani-speaking
country" coincidentally. Including "The Great Soviet
Encyclopedia" (20,277), "The Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary"
(61,26), and the foreign sources show that there are Azerbaijanis living in
Iraq.
Karl Menges, a famous Turkologist writes in his book
"Turkic languages and Turkic nations": "Azerbaijanis also live
in the north of Iraq. They are more than 100 thousands." (38, 12-13).
Prof. Jalal Ertuq, a Turkish researcher writes on this
issue: "2,5 million Turkman-Azerbaijanis live in Arbil and Kirkuk
regions nowadays (28, 8)". It should be noted that they inhabited
compact mainly in Kirkuk country: Kirkuk city, Tuz Khurmau (gaza), Altun
Korpu (nahiya), taze Khurmatu (nahiya), Bashir, Boyuk Hasar, Bilava
Garabulaq, Gizilyar, Yayji, Yarvali, Yengija, Kerkuz, Kumbatlar, Leylan, omar
Mandan, Tarjil, Gokteppe, Tisin, Tokhmakhli, Turkalan, Chardakhli, as well as
"Bayat koylari" (Bayat villages), and Kifri (gaza), which includes
64 regions; Garateppe (nahiyya), Daquq (nahiyya), Abud, Jambur, Birauchili,
Bastamli, Galkhanli, Garanaz, Amirli, Aski Kifri, Zangili, Yeshilteppe,
Kahriz, Kingirban, Kotaburun, Lagum, Ashtokan, Priahmad, Sayyad, Suleyman beg
(muratli), tel Manzil, Ushtepe, Khasadarli, Hasarli, Jabarli and other city,
region and villages. Besides, they also live in Khanagin (gaza), Shahraban
(gaza), Dalli Abbas (nahiya), Mandali (nahiya), Garaghan, Gizliarbat,
Gizilja, Susuzbulag vilages, the regions Dilaya county, in Arbil city, the
center of arbil county, tilafar gaza of Mosul county, Mosul city and also in
Baghdad, the capital city of the country.
It should be noted that frequent changes are introduced to
the administrative-territorial divisions of the country. For example, Tuz
Khurmatu gaza, which was a part of Kirkuk county, now belongs to Salahaddin
county, and Kifri gaza became adjacent to Diyala county. Some villages were
either totally eliminated or adhered to some other villages.
Some researchers consider that uniting the Turkman
inhabited territories with arab inhabited territories carry political reasons
(22, 17).
As in the past, they still call both themselves and us
-Azerbaijanis "Turkman" (18; 29; 19; 9; 79).
It is important to point out that the notion
"Turkman" which was widely used during the State of Atabeys, the
State of Garagoyunlus, The State of Aghgoyunlus, The State of Safavid carried
a different meaning from what it means today. Therefore Prof. A.
Damirchizadeh writes in his book "A History of Azerbaijani Literary
Language": "At that time the notion "Turkman" carried a
different meaning from what it does today. This is the reason why the
Azerbaijanis living around Baghdad are called turkman (9, 72).
The conclusion of the study of the other sources completely
affirms Prof. A. Damirchizadeh's opinion on this issue.
Academician V. Bartold writes that "Kitabi-Dadam
Gorgud" (Book of My Grandfather Gorgud) belongs to "Caucasian
Turkmans"-Azerbaijanis (32, 6).
According to the history after Shamsaddin eldaniz conquered
Azerbaijan and Iraq "he overcame all the great leaders and suborinated
most of them. He wiped out all the rebellious Turkman leaders" (10, 45).
This term can be come across in the works of our poets
Nasimi and Khatai:
Qrebin nitqi baglandı dilinden,
Seni kimdir deyen kim, turkmansan?
How could the Arab dare to doubt you,
To overlook you, cause you are Turkman?
Nasimi
Getdikce tükenir erebin kuyi-maskeni,
Bağdad icre her nece kim türkman qopar.
The Arabs lose their space,
As Turkmans make Baghdad home
Khatai
S. Longrig, an English historian writes that after taking
control over Shirvan, Shah Ismayil Khatai smashed turkmans at the battle near
Nakhichevan (32, 16).
The term "Turkman" is widely used in a Kirkuk
researcher Ata Tarzibashi's researches as well. This well-known folklore
scholar shows that the khoyrat (bayati) first emerged in the Turkman
inhabited areas of Iraq, during the period of the State of Aghgoyunlu and the
State of Garagoyunlu it gained fame and spread to Turkey, to the north of
Iran, especially to Tabriz, where mostly Turkmans lived, and to the territory
which used to be called Azeri or Azerbaijan ahr wab inhabited by Turkmans
(19, 8; 64, 203).
Academician Ziya Bunyadov's book "The State of
Azerbaijan Atabeys" includes some significant information about the
notion "Turkman". Te book tells that Toghrul III and goes against
his uncle Gizil Arslan. Gizil Arslan ruins the troop of Toghrul III and
Izatdin Hasan, which was composed of Turkman. They run from the battlefield
to Izzatdin Hasan's fortress - Karkhin, which was near Kirkuk (8, 84).
Hidayat Kamal Bayatli, Kirkuk scholar also discloses his
own attitude to the issue: "And a part of Iraq Turkmans, who are
originally Azeri Turks, were immigrated to Iraq by Shah Ismayil Khatai in
1505-1524, the Christian calendar (22, 20).
There is no doubt that under the term "Turkmans",
these scholars meant Azeris and Iraqi turkmans. It isnt't surprising that in
his interview to "Qardashliq" magazine (Brotherhood), Heydar
Aliyev, the late ex-President of Azerbaijan Republic stated his opinion on
this issue: "Exploring the history, I came to believe that Southern
Azerbaijan, Northern Azerbaijan and Iraqi-Turkmans are the parts of a
whole" (20, 4).
An important point should be noted out here. The matter is
that some researchers used the term "Turkman" and some
"Turkmen". While Ata Tarzibashi, Shakir Sabir Zabit, Ibrahim
Daquqi, Rza Damirchi, Sinan Said, Movlud Taha Gayachi and some other
wellknown Iraqi scholars used the term "Turkman", lately A.
Benderoghlu prefers the term "Turkmen". This notion was referred as
"Turkmen" in the books published by "The Department of Turkmen
Culture" and in the newspaper "Yurd" (Motherland) both of
which lead by him. Although before the researcher used the term
"Turkman" in his books "a Step in the Iraqi-Turkman
literature", and "Turkmans in Revolutionary Iraq", while
editing our book "Iraqi-Turkman Folklora" (56), he ewplained that
since Arabs also use "Turkman", he prefers the term
"Turkamen" for the sake of differentiation. True, Arabs also spell
this term as "Turkman", however A. Benderoghlu's point is wrong and
harmful. Because modifying the term "Turkman", which was originated
at the period of "Kitabi-Dadam Gorgud" (The Book of My Grandfather
Gorgud), this way is not acceptable.
İn the meantime, Prof. F. Zeynalov and Prof. S.
Alizadeh, the researchers of "Dada Gorgud" write: "It is an
important fact that in the Drezden version this word is pronounced as
'Turkman'. It is obvious that Turkmans, the Azerbaijanis living in Iraq - are
the population inhabited in Kirkuk (32, 250).
Prof. Mahir Nagib, a researcher from Kirkuk paid a special
attention to this issue in his article "A work for a Devotee",
which was translated into Ottoman Turkish and addressed to our book
"Iraqi-Turkman Folklora", published in Turkey: "A reader will
notice that honored G. Pashayev is differentiating 'Turkmen' from 'Turkman'. Even
the Azeri version of the book is called 'Iraqi-Turkman Folklora'. G.
Pashayev's conclusion, which benefited from various sources should be
supported. But the term Turkman is out of use in Turkey and Iraqi Turks are
referred as 'Turkmen', that's why we had to use the term 'Turkmen'" (57,
12).
One can see, Prof. Mahir Nagib also supports the idea of
using the term "Turkman".
Fortunately, A. Benderoghlu realized his mistake and
starting from 2003 he is using the term "Turkman" in his newspaper
"Yurd" and other publications.
Note that there is a dispute among the researchers over the
etymology of the term "Turkman". Since XI century this term was
referred as "Turkmanand" in the Persian and Tajic sources, which is
translated into Turkish as "Turk" and "Manand" - alike
(in Persian), so it means "Turkishlike" (1, 76; 71, 176-17; 29,
24). For Abulgaüzi, as common people couldn't pronounce
"Turkmanand", they used the term "Turkman" (1, 76).
Some other sources show that since they were interpreting
between the Arabs and Turks, who didn't know Arabic, they were referred as
"tarjuman" (translator), and as the time went on, the word was used
as "Turkman" (24, 9).
Some other researchers believe that Turk+man, Turk+men
means "Turkic person", "Turkic soldier" (16, 18-19).
As known, semi-nomadic Turkman used to be called Tarakama. Since
the notions of "Oghuz" and "Turkman" fall into the same
ethnic category, Abulgazi Bahadir Khan Khivali, one of the first few experts,
who talked about "Dada Gorgud" boys (chapters), brought this issue
onto the table in his work "Shajareyi-Tarakima" (Genealogy of
Tarakima) (1; 30).
It is possible to consider that "Turkman" is
derived from "Tarakimun", the incorrect plural form of
"Tarakama" in Arabic (33, 27).
But we credit the researchers, who explain the word
"man" as magnificence, greatness, purity, reality, greatness, and
strength (24, 10). If we take into consideration that the term Turkman
existed for a long time, its being used in the meanings of "Great
Turk", "Majestic Turk", "Mighty Turk", "Real
Turk" sounds natural.
The use of "man" in the meanings of great,
heavenly, grand in the words; gojaman (experienced person), azman (a giant
person), ataman (a sharp person), shishman (an overweight person), kechaman
(a big lizard) in both Azerbaijani and Kirkuk dialect also supports this
idea.
We have to mention that there are fundamental differences
between the Iraqi-Turkmen dialect and the Turkmen language in the Central
Asia. In Turkmen language initial length of vowels are widespread and it
changes the words' meanings. For example: bas (head); baas - yara (bruise),
qor (see), qoor (grave) etc. This is characteristic neither for Azeri
language nor Kirkuk dialect. In dental sounds. The are found in Arabic and
English, as well as in Turkmen language. But there are no such sounds in
Turkman dialect and Azerbaijani.
The sound g, which is widely used in both Azeri and
Iraqi-Turkman dialect, is not available in Turkmen language. While Turkmen
language distinguishes itself in some other cases as well, the phonetic
structure of Azeri language and Iraqi-Turkman dialect coincide (52, 14-16;
82, 355; 53)
Therefore A. Benderoghlu, the Iraqi researcher writes:
"Iraqi-Turkman dialect corresponds to Azerbaijani language. But there
are small differences in Iraqi-Turkman dialect. They are almost unremarkable
and shouldn't be considered something major" (7, 14).
Interestingly, in 1995, the world-wide famous Prof. Ihsan
Doghramaji, who is originally from Arbil, was giving continuous speech in
Arbil dialect, more precisely in Azerbaijani in the Academy of Sciences, but
he sensed that the guests from Turkey didn't understand him well enough, and
suddenly he turned to the president of the Academy: "If you don't mind,
I'd talk to the guests from Turkey in their own dialect about our academy."
(30, 149).
When the TV correspondent asked him: "How do you feel
about celebrating your 80th jubilee in your second motherland -
Azerbaijan?" - Doghramaji gave a polysemantic and well-thought answer:
"Azerbaijan isnt't my second motherland. It is one of my two
motherlands. There is nothing more natural and more real than celebrating
your birthday in your own motherland" (30, 153).
As one can see, rightfully Ihsan Doghramaji considers
Azerbaijan his own motherland and Azerbaijani language his mother tongue.
Doubtlessly, we are the parts of a whole and therefore
although we consider Nasimi and Fizuli our own, and they think of these poets
as Iraqi-Turkman poets, none of us contradicts the other on this issue.
Perhaps this is the reason that Nizami was introduced as
Iraqi poet in his books, "Khosrov and Shirin" (1934),
"Treasure of Secrets" (1934), "Seven Beaties" (1937),
"Igbalname" (1939), which were published in Tehran, in Persian in
the first part of the 20th century and are on display at the permanent
exposition of Nizami Ganjavi in the Museum of Azerbaijan Literature. Only in
the book "Leyli and Majnun" (1939) he was introduced as Iraqi-Ajam
poet.
All these are telling us about a nation, whose fate
subjected to scattering in the difficult terms of life. Fazil Hussein and
Sinan Said, the Kirkuk researchers note that, first time the issue of this
elat's being Turkman and speaking Azerbaijani turned to a subject of
discussion in the first part of XX century, when the fate of Mosul county
became subject to question while the Ottoman rule ended in Iraq and Iraq
turned into a colony of England. The Turkish government considered them
Turkish, but the England insisted that they were Turkmans. The English
government proved that this elat didn't belong to Ottoman, their dialect
wasn't similar to Turkish language, but to Azerbaijani language. England
believed that territory long before the emergence of the Ottoman Empire (13,
93-99; 64, 35).
From this point the representative of the
"East-India" company, Edmonds' travel to the Turkman inhabited
territory in 1820 is interesting: "We arrived in Guruchay (Dry river) at
8.20. There were the tents of Bayat Turkmans' here. Hasan bey, the head of
the ashirat (tribe), who sometimes was referred as "Garagush bey" (Eagle
bey) invited me to have meal. He was well aware of the existence of the
ashirat (tribe/elat) of Boyuk (Great) Bayat in Khurasan, but he couldn't
define the exact date, when this branch of the ashirat moved to this
country" (14, 267).
We come across various historical facts about Iraqi
Turkmans' origin and their settling date in Iraq. Many researchers believe
that they moved from Azerbaijan.
We also think that, starting from early Middle Ages till
the middle of the 16th century and afterwads in certain periods we lived
together with Iraqi-Turkmans in the same territory, under the same power, but
because of certain social-political reasons we had to split. As a number of
substantial researches have come out lately on the history of Iraqi-Turkmans
and Azerbaijan, we become more convinced in our conclusion (66; 10; 68; 37;
38; 24).
In the meantime, we don't reject the fact that the bloody
wars, political interests and other reasonscaused some other streams of
movement as well. Moreover, this took place in both directions. As Abulgazi
Bahadir Khan states, thousands of Turkman families left Iraw and came to
Shamakhi (1, 99).
Tabari, the Arabic historian and Prof. Subhi Saatchi think
that the first movement of Turks to Iraq happened in 45, the Hijri calender
(76a, 167; 68, 20).
Prof. S. Buluch, the Turkish scholar, also writes about
this issue: "In the first centuries of the Hijri calendar Azerbaijani
Turks passed through Tabriz-Sultaniyya and settled down in Kirkuk" (58,
109).
Shakir Sabir, the Kirkuk researcher thinks that their
movement to Iraq started in VII century and they already forme their own
blocks in Iraq in 745, the christian calendar (72, 37, 39).
Ibn-al-Asir, the Arabic historian of the 12th-13th
centuries writes: "Many Azerbaijani Turks led by Abu Mansur Baktash and
Abu Ali İbn Dahgan moved to Iraq and settled down in Tilafar, Mosul and
the neighbouring areas" (26, 136).
Mustafa Javad, a well-known Iraqi researcher writes in his
book "The History of Turks in Iraq" that Turks' movemen to Iraq
started in the year of 32 in the Hijri calendar and divides this movement
into seven stages. İn the period of Amavis, especially Abbasis Turks's
being incomparably good at shooting, brave in battles, tolerant to the
hordship brought high prestige to them, strengthened their position and made
them the dirivin force in Iraq. In Mustafa Javad's categorization Saljug
period falls into the fourth stage and in this period thousands of Oghuz
Turks entered and settled in Iraq, formed Turkman khanates, and other
khanates such as Artiglilar in Mardin, Atabeys in Mosul, Zeynalabdins in
Arbil, Gipchags in Kirkuk, Gara (Literally: Dark/Black, Means: Great)
Aslanlis in Diyarbakr, and the khanates in Daghistan and Azerbaijan. According
to the researchers' writings, the bayat tiribes inhabited around Gara Tapa
(Black Hill) and Daquq entered Iraq in the fourth stage. The rule of Teymuris
and Jalairs marks the beginning of the fifth stage. Mustafa Javad categorizes
the period of the State of Garagoyunlu and the State of Aghgoyunlu in the
sixtth stage. The seventh stage consists of the period of the State of
Safavid (46).
Prof. Subhi Saatchi divides these movements into seven
stages and calls the last stage "Ottoman Period" (62, 31-106).
According to Ershad Hormuzlu, a Kirkuk researcher, the
biggest movement of Turkmans to Iraq happened during Toghrul bey's authority
(1040-1063). In the Christian year of 1055 they numbered even more. As the
continuous stream of Turkmans to Iraq turned to a Turkic-speaking area (24,
25).
It is undeniable that starting from the date that
Shamsaddin Eldaniz took over the control in 1136 and afterwards during the
periods of his predecessors; sons - Mahammad Jahan Pahlavan and Gizil Arslan,
the relations with Iraq tightened (74, 53-58, 59).
During Shamsaddin eldaniz's period the state and troop of
Iraq and Azerbaijan united under the same power and the nation lived in peace
(66, 127). He used to rotate between Azerbaijan and Iraq back and forth. His
trip to Iraq ended in 1175, and after a while upon his return to Azerbaijan,
died in Nakhichevan. And Jahan Pahlavan and Gizil Arslan became executive
authorities of Iraq, Azerbaijan, Arran, Rey, Isfahan, Hamadan and other
counties (10, 74). Daquq, Arbil, Kirkuk and other places that inhabited by
Turkman, and Ganja, Nakhichevan, Tabriz and other cities were united under
the same power during the period of the State of Atabeys (10, 234, 238; 66,
134).
Starting
from the execution of the last Abbasi khalifa in 1258 all the neighbouring
cities and villages including Baghdad turned to Azerbaijan's county and
accept its authority (8, 73). Since that period the connection between the
Azerbaijanis living in Bahgdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and Arbil and the Northern and
Southern Azerbaijan grew closer. This relation becomes even stronger during
the periods of Jalairs in XIV century, and the State of Garagoyunlu and the
State of Aghgoyunlu in XV century. The territory of the State of Garagoyunlu
included Azerbaijan, Armenia, Western Iran, Iraq, Kurdustan, etc. The capital
was Tabriz. The major cities were Tabriz, Maragha, Ardabil, Nakhichevan,
Ganja, Baghdad, Arzinjan etc (4, 54). During the period of the State of
aghgoyunlu, especially during the power of Uzun (Tall) Hasan the borders
extended till the Kur River, Garabagh County, Arab-Iraq, Acami-Iraq, the
borders of Persia and Khurasan including Arzinjan etc (23, 221; 27, 81; 28,
62; 36, 3; 37, 97, 172).
Therefore in his letter to te European states Uzun Hassan
indicated with especial emphasis: "...Iraq, all of the Persia till the
doors of India, ... Mazandaran, Gilan, ... Azerbaijan, Baghdad - all these
belong to me. I am the ruler of these territories" (37, 103).
Interestingly, S. Longrig, the English researcher writes
that during the rule of Uzun Hasan the capital of the countr, was Tabriz in
summer and Baghdad in winter (32, 20).
As his grandfather Uzun Hassan, Shah Ismail Khatai also
aimed to unite Azerbaijan and Iraq under the same power and reinstate the
united Azerbaijan. His capturing Baghdad in 1506 with this purpose made
Ottoman Empire very restless. Ottoman Empire was cautious about the growth of
Safavid. For this reason it launched a war against Safavids with a great
force and overcame in the famous battle, Chaldiran (38, 143). This defeat
caused an incredible anount of losses to Safavids. One of them was the loss
of Baghdad.
Afterwards Azerbaijani rulers attempted to take Baghdad
back by all means (38, 143). From this standpoint the facts by Shakir Sabir,
the Kirkuk researcher and A. Mammadov, an Azeri scholar are quite attractive.
Prince Bayazid joins a revolt against his father Sultan Suleyman of a refuge.
Sultan Suleyman promises a great amount of gifts to Safavid to have his son
bak for execution. Shah (King) Tahmasib puts a condition that Baghdad should
be annexed to Azerbaijan again (36, 78). But Sultan (King) Suleyman doesn't
accept this condition.
In the war of 1533-1535, between Azerbaijan and Turkey,
Azerbaijan lost all Iraqi territories including Baghdad (38, 161, 162).
But starting from Shah Abbas's rule, in a timeframe from
1623 to 1638, Baghdad, kirkuk and other places were united under the Safavid
authority, but again in 1638 the Ottoman authority took control over these
territories (71, 85; 36, 3; 24, 30) and from 1732 to 1743 the control was
switched between the Ottoman Empire and Azerbaijan back and forth. During
1734-1746, these territories were totolly under the control of Azerbaijan,
but as Longrig, English historian writes, in 1746 Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk and
other cities lost khan (referring to Azerbaijani authority) and gained sultan
(referring to Ottoman authority) forever (32, 20).
Afterwards our connection with Iraq came down to almost
nothing. Therefore Azerbaijani rulers attempted to gain back the tribes taht
inhabited in Iraq. Mirza Jamal Javanshir writes on this occasion: "After
Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747, Panah Khan along with his accompanists
went till Iraq and Azerbaijan borders to welcome the Garabagh people... Their
visit ended up with failure" (29, 14-15).
It should be mentioned that not only Garabagh tribes, but
also other Azerbaijani tribes from both south and north inhabited here.
At the end the quoted sources have been given in an
alphabetical order. As seen we have used code. The first figure indicates the
source, the second indicates the page. Between them there is a cçomma.
Sources have been separated by semicolon.
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After the connections
broke, the people in Iraq
expressed their complaints about the broken relations, the longing in the
khoyrats (bayatis) like this :
Eslim Qarabağlıdı,
Sinem çarpaz dağlıdı.
Kesilib gelib-geden,
Deme yollar bağlıdı.
Bağdad yolu Gencedi,
Gülü pence-pencedi,
Deme sizden iragam,
Bu sevda ölüncedi ve s.
I am from Garabagh,
My soul is hurt.
Nobady comes and goes,
The connections turned out to be cut off.
Road to Baghdad goes through Ganja, It has fully-blossomed
flowers, Don't say that we are apart, This love is forever, etc.
But neither the broken relations, nor the long-lived years of
separation could influence the language and the folklore of this elat. Although
the Ottoman Turkish language was accepted as the literary language at that
time, the spoken language and the folklore closely reflects Azerbaijani
language and folklore (69, 14; 22, 329).
We don't intend to confront the Turkic languages that are very
close. But at the same time, we have to accept the fact that Turkish, Azeri
and Iraqi researchers, who did a deep study of Iraqi-Turkman folklore and are
very well aware of Kirkuk dialect and folklore affirm that the dialect of
this people coincides with Azeri language. Their folklore and folk songs,
which share the same roots, are identical (6, 147-152; 18, 26; 45, 56-66, 44,
6; 42, 86-96; 54, 64-68; 55, 3-26; 69, 11-14; 71, 203; 9, 14; 36, 11; 2,
329).
Fuad Koprulu, a Turkish researcher writes with confidence:
"Iraqi-Turkmans - The Turks who speak in azeri dialect of
Oghuz...".
Amir Asim, the head of the Foundation of the Turkic Language,
read the first part of the book "Selected khoyrtas of Kirkuk",
published by Kirkuk researcher Molla Sabir, (Baghdad, 1951) wrote an
acknowledgement to the second part, where he stated: "These folk poems,
which resemble very typical patterns in Azeri dialect, include words and
expessions that are very close to ours" (45, 57).
Vahabi Ashgun, a Turkish scholar wrote an acknowledgement to the
second part of molla Sabir's book and mentioned rightfully: "As the
first book, this book is also in Azeri dialect" (45, 47).
Mir oghlu Jamil, the Turkish counselor to Belgrade, read Molla
Sabir's book and wrote: "Sabir bey's book "The selected Kirkuk
khoyrats" birings an unquestionable fact to the surface that the
language is totally the same with the Azeri dialect, which is the closest one
to Turkish, the Western Turkic. (45, 140).
From this point, the thoughts of ata Tarzibashi, the Kirkuk
researcher are also worth paying attention: "Our Turkman dialect is much
closer to Azeri dialect than Turkish language, and even perhaps thye are twin
sisters. Regardless the fact that they split for various kinds of reasons and
lived a long history without any connections, there ara not remarkable
differences in thees dialects" (78, 26).
Prof. Hidayat Kamal Bayatly also came to a reasonable conclusion
in his book "Turkic dialact of Iraqi-Turkmans": "The dialect that
Iraqi-turkmans use, is identicall to Azeri dialect. Geographically, Azeri
dialect embraces Eastern Anadolu, Kirkuk (Iraq) and Suriya Turks. From the
folklore point, it is the richest Turkic dialect with numerous
variations" (21, 329).
Prof. H. Mirzazadeh, a well-known scholar on the history of
Azerbaijani language, also affirms this conclusion in his serious article
"Some Considerations About the Language of the Azerbaijanis living in
Iraq" (42, 86, 96).
Interestingly, the
history of literary language of Azerbaijan indicates that our literary
language included numerous elements of the dialects of Southern Azerbaijan
and Baghdad (Kirkuk) in XV-XVI centuries, and Kirkuk dialect was categorized
in the Southern branch and dialects of Azerbaijani language (12, 37; 13, 43;
62, 17; 42, 85).
By the way, since the phonetic and lexical parameters of
Azerbaijani languag correspond with those of southern and Eastern dialects,
some of the researchers of "Kitabi-Dadam Gorgud", V. Bartold, F.
Koprulu, A. Dilachar, M. Ergin consider that as Bartold says "it belongs
to Caucasian Turks" (32, 6, 10, 13). O. Gogyay, M. Ergin, Y. Yakubovski,
H. Arasli, M. Tahmasib, A. Damirchizadeh, S. Jamshidov, Kh. Koroghlu and
others believe that the Dresden copy of the book was entirely created in
Azerbaijan (32, 10, 19).
Doubtlessly, we can tell that for centuries Iraqi-Turkmans had to
survive by themselves surrounded with other nations, so that they preserved
the old lexical and phonetic characteristic features of their language and
therefore their language reflects the peculiarities of "Kitabi-Dadam
Gorgud". Tens of words, which were used in the "Kitabi-Dadam
Gorgud", are still in use in Kirkuk dialect, precisely, the same words
still carry the same meaning and this is an apt proof. For example: kapanak
(yapıncı-felt cloak), xerxız (oğru-thief), ekmek
(çörek-bread), ense (arxa-back, backside), qalavuz (beledçi-guide),
qısraq (at, madyan-horse), yayan (piyada - pedestrian), nesne
(eşya, alet-thing), semiz (kök-root), sığır (buğa,
cönge-bull), mavlamaq (huşunu itirmek-to faint), qanara
(çarmıx-crucifix), borı çalmaq (şeypur çalmaq-to play
trumpet), davul döğmek (tebil çalmaq-to play the drum), ismarlamaq
(tapşırmaq-to charge, to commission), yarın (sabah-tomorrow),
ög (önfront), xoyrad (qaba, kobud, nadanqrude, impolite, ignorant),
yağmalamaq (talamaq-o plunder, to rob), qavat (alçaq, eskik adam-ignoble
person), oda (otaq-room), imdi (indi-now), baş üzerinde (baş
üste!-all right, no problem expression to say yes), qaum-qardash (qohum-qardaş-literal:
the relateive-the brother (means: close people)), kelisa (kilse-church), iyi
(gözel-nice), kendi (özü-oneself) etc. In relation with Gorgud, Abulgazi Khan
says: "Goul Ergi Khan offered Gorgud to sit at tor/tour in the place of
honour" - at the head of gathering (1, 79). It is interesting that this
word as "Dor//dour" is used in Turkmani even today.
Therefore, Azerbaijani researchers consider the
"Kitabi-Dadam Gorgud" "the ancestor of Azerbaijani folk and
written literature" (32, 5), and at the same time, Ata Tarzibashi, the
Kirkuk researcher, calls it the "mother book" of Iraqi-Turkmans.
The fact should be added that, the linguists, such as P.
Melioranski (40, 16, 18), M. Shiraliyev (75, 11), N. Baskakov (7, 9, 56), A.
Sherbak (73, 27), H. Mirzazadeh (43, 20), E. Najip (49, 30), A. Orujov (50,
9), Y. Shirvani (76, 16) and others, state that since the "Dictionary of
Ibn-Muhanna", which belongs to the late XIII, the early XIV centuries,
is in old Azerbaijani, it should have been written either in Azerbaijan, or
in Iraq territory.
Prof. Mahir Nagib, an Iraqi-Turkman researcher affirms the shared
roots of the music in his book "Categorization and Analysis of kirkuk
Turk Folk Music: "The distance between the borders couldn't deteriorate
the saherd roots of Kirkuk Turk folk music and Azerbaijani Turk folk
music" (36,11). Researcher Subhi Saatchi is of the same opinion (70).
This closeness, identicalness is sharply visible in the place
names as well: these place names - Aghdam, Aghdash, Agsu, Billava, Boyat,
Guruchay, Garabulag, Garaqoyunlu, Garadagh, Garabaghli, Amirli, Yaychi,
Yengica, Mandili, Mardinli, Uchtapa, Khasa, Khasadarli, Chardaghli, etc. -
are common for both Northern Azerbaijan and Kirkuk. As in Baku, there is
"Shirvan Fortress" near kifri. This palace was indicated as a
historical monument of Iraqi-Turkmans in the map of Iraq published in Bahgdad
in 1961. Still there is a block called "Garabaghli" in Kirkuk. The
Iraqi scholars insist that "Garabaghli" or from Azerbaijan - from
Garabagh region. As well the folklore introduces so many similar facts.
Sinan Said, a scholar from Kirkuk, who did research on
"Arzu-Gambar" the famous Iraqi-Turkman epic, thinks that this is a
funda-mental work, a document that can be referred to learn their dialect, to
define their identity, the researcher brings this piece as an example :
Arzum endi bulağa,
Sesi geldi qulağa.
Arzuya peşkeş olsun
Şirvan, Tebriz, Marağa.
My Arzu went down to the spring, Her voice was heard.
Let Shirvan, Tabriz, Maragha
Be sacrificed/gifted to Arzu.
and writes: "These lines are enough to decide where and by who the epos
is originated" (59). In the Tuz Khurmatu version of the epos the events
take place by the Araz River :
Quruyasan, ey Araz,
Elimizden düşdü saz.
Qemberi çay apardı,
Yetiş, ey Xızır İlyas (60, 376)
Damn you, hey Araz,
We dropped our saz.
The river curried away Gambar,
Please, come help, hey Khizir Ilyaz (60, 376).
This piece itself is an apt fact of our shared roots.
Prof. Subhi Saatchi, who did a substantial work on exploring and
advocating Iraqi-Turkman moral values, also stated his personal opinion about
this historical issue: "If we explore the colorful folklore and oral
literature, we will witness that Kirkuk dialect carries the motives of Azeri
Turkic". If we study the customs and traditions of Azarbaijanis living
either in the North or the South, we will witness that Kirkuk folk literature
derives from the same source. This similarity and identicalness resembles in
every example - from lullabies to riddles" (63, 11, 13-14).
As mentioned above, many Azerbaijani and Iraqi-Turkman scholars
share the same opinion. İn that case, is there any need to study the
folklore of Iraqi-turkman separately? If we take into consideration that till
the first quarter of XVI century Kirkuk was under Azerbaijan's authority and
as Subhi Saatchi, the Iraqi researcher says, "Till the 16th century all
of the publications in Iraq were in Azeri Turkic" (63, 14), we will
witness a great need to study this elat's folklore deeply, who had to live
apart from its roots for centuries.
By the way, note that two terms are used in Kirkuk sources -
Kirkuk folklore and Iraqi-Turkman folklore. Both terms refer to the folklore
of all Iraqi-Turkman community living in Iraq. It should be considered
normal. Becaues the term "Darband folklore" or "Nakhichevan
folklore" refers to the folklore of the people living in the surounding
areas of relatively Darband and Nakhichevan as well. Accordingly, Kirkuk
folklore refers the folklore of the people, who inhabited of the people
living in the neighbouring villages and regions. That's why the readers will
observe use of the both terms throughout the books of author.
Gathering, publishing and conducting research of Iraqi-Turkman
folklore started in the middle of XX century. Ata Tarzibashi, Molla Sabir,
Shakir Sabir Zabit, Mohammad Khurshid, Abdullatif Benderoghlu, Ibrahim
Daquqi, Ihsan Vasfi, Subhi Saatchi, Mahir Nagip and others are the first
remembered ones when the subject comes on to the scholars who collected this
spiritual treasure, which was created and passed over to the following
generations for centuries, and immortalized them in books, the greatest
invention of humanity. As you look through the books that they complied with
great difficulties, and published mostly at their own expense, you recall V.
Beilinsky's words: "The hard work of the modest and honest people, who
collected the invaluable pieces of folklore with paintstakingly stubbornness
and endess efforts and didn't let them be forgotten and destroyed, should
meet the fullest gratitude and appreciation" (6, 109).
The folklore pieces they collected were first published in the
newspapers "Kirkuk", "Afag", "Bashir",
"Iraq", "Yurd" and the magazine
"Qardashliq-Brotherhood", and these materials all together turned
to a substantial source for any researcher to refer to. The proverbs and
aphorisms, khoyrat and manis (a kind of bayati), folk songs, ceremonies,
jokes (anecdotes), believes, proys, curses and other patterns were included
in "The Selected Khoyrats of Kirkuk" by Molla Sabir, "Khoyrats
and Manis in Kirkuk" by Habib Sevimlin, "Social Life in
Kirkuk", "Proverbs in Kirkuk Dialect" by Shakir Sabir,
"Khoyrats and Manis in Kirkuk", "Kirkuk Songs",
"Invaluable Kirkuk words" by Ata Tarzibashi, "Iraqi-Turkmans,
Their Language, History and Literature" by Ibrahim Daquqi, "A Step
in the Literature of Iraqi-Turkman", and "Our Proverbs" by
Abdullatif Benderoghlu, "Iraqi Turkmans", "Kirkuk Children Folklora"
and "Folk Songs of kirkuk" by Subhi Saatchi, "Aphorisms and
Proverbs of Iraqi-Turkmans" by Mahir Nagib and other books. The
activities in this sphere weren't limited only to collecting the folklore
pieces and publishing books but also the attempts were made at conducting
scientific research on the certain genres of Iraqi-Turkman folklore. Ata
Tarzibashi's research on khoyrats, manis, and folk music is worth paying
great attention.
But still the Iraqi-Turkman folklore is not entrely explored. It
is the first attempt to analyze it systematically. The Iraq-Turkmani
researcher A. Benderoghlu's opinion, who wrote the acknowledgement to our
monograph "Iraqi-Turkman Folklora", supports this idea: "Until
now such a research of a substantial, detailed context has never been
conducted either in Iraq by Turkmans or in Azerbaijan or in Turkey" (52,
4).
True, many genres and patterns of Iraq-Turkman folklore become
subject to research for the first time. The main sources of our research were
the books on Iraqi-Turkman folklore, the publications that we listed above,
and the patterns, which we recorded in five tapes, each of which lasted for
an hour and a half, and the examples we wrote down in several large notepads
or more than a thousand pages each during our long-term visits to Iraq in
1962-1966 and 1972-1975.
The early genres, the people's ceremonies and music, the
bayatiriddles, the lullabies, the tales, the jokes, the riddles, and the
proverbs of the Iraqi-Turkman folklore are being explored scientifically for
the first time. Among these genres bayati-riddles and lullabies have not been
studied as independent genres in our Folklora studies - the former entirely
and the latter partially.
The mutual relations of the azerbaijani and Iraqi-Turkman
folklores were brought to light through parallels, comparisons of the
patterns that derived from the same root and the categorization of the
current genres were done through the latest achievements of the folklore
studies (5; 34; 47; 48; 57; 58; 59; 61; 80; 81), etc.
While talking about the importance of this study, it should be
mentioned that, the thorough study of certain critical issues such as our
history of aesthetic thought etc.
Iraqi-Turkman folklore is such a treasure that it reflects all
the nuances of the nation's language and every single person who is in love
with his nation can find invaluable pearls in this treasure. There is
closeness, identicalness to Azerbaijan Folklora in every layer of this
treasure of the nation's wisdom. We are blessed becaues the nation didn't
part in its consciousness, thoughts, and mentality! After all a stone gets
crumbled and ruins, a rock becomes tumbledown and ruins, a spring dries, a
river gets thinner and cuts off. And a nation forgets and disappears (17, 4).
But still there is a bright reality, which consoles one. As
Irmag, Iraq-Turkmani, writes: "The motherland's territory can expand or
diminish, its borders can extinguish, its history can be falsified, even its
honor can be offended, its religion can be converted. But one thing never
changes. This is mother tongue" (19).
As you see, there are two principal existences in life - folklore
and language, which never disappear carry undeniable historical facts about a
nation. We think this is the literary-historical value of the Iraqi-Turkman
folklore in the first place.
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