TRANSHUMANCE AND MIGRATION

  It was calculated that Juruks lived three months in mountain pasture and three months at sea side in summer. They were passing four months of the year with traveling. When it was asked to Juruks why they dazzled such difficult, suffering traveling they were answering like that: This is a tradition and habit. Sometimes Juruks were thinking of not going to mountain pasture and living a settled life. Although they were sincere in their these expressions, when spring came they were beginning to think. Particularly once a Juruk oba wrecked his tent and pulled his camel, no one could change his migrant idea. Once one began to migration, everybody were beginning to migrate and no Juruk tent was remaining at the side until the end of the May.

“These lines had taken from Bahaeddin ÖGEL’s  book named “Introduction to Turkish Culture History I” which was published by Culture Ministry in 1991 and no addition was made.”

  When it is said mountain pasture or high-plateau in Turkish, first thing that comes to the mind is high places and mountains where animals graze. In real, mountain pasture is the equivalent of idiom sheltered place. This is to say, it means “ the place where people can live in winter.”

  People who don’t have mountain pasture in Middle Asia, were passing their summer at sheltered places. But this was not same for the Turks. One who can not go to mountain pasture was poor and unlucky person.

  Macit Selekler was saying like that in a writing of him named “Migration in Antalya” which was published in Turkish Mediterranean magazin:

  “It was calculated that Juruks lived three months in mountain pasture and three months at sea side in summer. They were passing four months of the year with traveling. When it was asked to Juruks why they dazzled such difficult, suffering traveling they were answering like that: This is a tradition and habit. Sometimes Juruks were thinking of not going to mountain pasture and living a settled life. Although they were sincere in their these expressions, when spring came they were beginning to think. Particularly once a Juruk oba wrecked his tent and pulled his camel, no one could change his migrant idea. Once one began to migration, everybody were beginning to migrate and no Juruk tent was remaining at the side until the end of the May.”

  “Mountain Pasture Passion” is a deep desire and instinct that can not be understood with logic. Macit Selekler was saying like this in a writing which was written in 1938: “... It is impossible to hold a Juruk whose oba had migrated. Even if his wife will have a child, he goes. Man migrates even if his camel and cattle died. Even if he has a mortal patient in the tent, he migrates...

  It is very difficult to understand this life style when we compare it with our life sytle. Juruk, takes a decission with his family and gives a promis that he would’t go to mountain pasture this year. But when migration time comes and his neighboors begin to migrate, Juruk gives up his decision and promis. When group begin to act, it’s very hard to act different than group. This is a very effective power. There are some anectodes about this power:

  “ A Juruk’s father gets sick in the way of migration. They wait three days but old person doesn’t die. Unconscious old man continue to living with a slight wheeze. His son gets angry because he remains back from his friends and calls hodja. He wants him to bath and inter his father. When imam says his father is still living, Juruk gets angry very much and says: “Juruks dies such.” He shoutes and curses to imam .”

  We see such proverbs about migration that are made for having new “obtaining nation” in past Turks:

  “ Have a comfort migration and profitable placing”. Big migrations were not easy and comfort. That’s why they could face various dangers and various difficulties in every moment. That’s why patience wishes were made to migrants between the Turkish proverbs. “Migration becomes smooth by walking.”, this is to say “Each work and migration, is finished slowly and begins to go well.” It is understood that, migrants who migrate to places where  have fruitfull earth, are new and good were happy and a bit proud. There is a proverb for such a case: “A person who decides to migrate, speaks ill of the people with whom he lived.” Person who migrates from his region eternally was called “göçermen”. Turks were hurting to people who can’t migrate to mountain pastures and stay at home in summer.