The form of poetry, which is known by many names, especially folk poetry or the tradition of minstrelsy, is one of the most rooted branches of the art of the Turkish nation. Artists who are called in love perform this art activity orally, accompanied by a musical instrument/instrument, especially saz. The minstrels who grew up in the public are the living witnesses and translators of the feelings and thoughts of the people. One of these minstrels is Âşık Şenlik, who lived in the second half of the 19th century.

Âşık Şenlik, who was born in the Çıldır district of Ardahan, drank wine in his dream at the age of 14 and became one of the most famous minstrels of the region. Şenlik, who lived in the years when Kars and Ardahan were occupied by the Russians and Armenians, spent his life fighting against the invaders. While raising the awareness of Turkish society with the poems he sang, the other hand, he kept the society's power to endure and endure hardships and resist captivity. Despite all the compulsions of the occupying forces, he did not compromise his loyalty to the Ottoman Empire, even if it was at the cost of his life. In this context, this study, Âşık Şenlik's view of the Ottoman Empire was examined as a text-centered study, based on the poems of Âşık Şenlik, using literature review and text analysis techniques as a qualitative study. The study aims to show the function of Âşık Şenlik and a lover in his person in keeping the resistance power of the people alive, and their loyalty to the state.

Âşık Şenlik, minstrel poetry, loyalty to the state