Sarıkeçili Yörüks

Sarıkeçili Yörükleri are one of the Turk communities that have maintained their presence in the Central Taurus region of Anatolia and continue to uphold a thousand-year-old nomadic tradition today. The Sarıkeçilis, believed to descend from the Kayı tribe of the Oghuz Turks, undertake seasonal migrations between the Mediterranean coastlines (winter quarters) and the highland pastures of Central Anatolia, following climatic cycles. Despite modernization and technological advances, this community has largely preserved its traditional modes of production, shelter culture, and socio-cultural values, and is described in literature as “one of the last nomadic communities of Anatolia”^【1】.

^{Sarıkeçili Yörükleri Göç Esnasında} (Anadolu Ajansı)

There are various popular interpretations regarding the origin of the tribe’s name. The most widespread view holds that the name derives from the yellowish hue of the goats they raise or from the large number of goats in their herds. In scholarly sources, the term “Yörük” means “one who walks” or “migrating,” and the Sarıkeçilis embody this definition through their historically continuous mobile lifestyle. Their social structure is based on harmonious production with nature, disciplined labor, and communal solidarity.

The Sarıkeçilis are a branch of the Oghuz Turkmen tribes that entered Anatolia from the 11th century onward. These pastoral communities, originally from the steppes of Central Asia, began settling in mountainous and coastal-pasture zones of Anatolia after its conquest, areas well-suited for animal husbandry. During the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, the nomadic lifestyle was formally recognized as an administrative category under the status of “yörük,” which granted specific mobility rights and tax exemptions^【2】.

During the Ottoman period, the Sarıkeçilis held a significant position in the state’s supply chain, producing meat, milk, and wool, and providing camel transport services. Seventeenth-century legal codes indicate that nomadic women, who did not hold direct land ownership, were exempt from certain taxes such as the “gerdek vergisi.” This reflects the legal recognition of their mobile way of life. However, as central authority strengthened, these exemptions were gradually abolished and replaced by stricter surveillance and settlement policies.

In the 19th century, the Ottoman State implemented a comprehensive settlement policy aimed at ensuring tax control, maintaining public order, and utilizing vacant arable lands.

• The Ağlasun Example (1843): Population records from this period show that 26 households and 87 males belonging to the Sarıkeçili tribe were settled in the villages of Çebiş, Karaevli, and Arvallı within the Ağlasun district of Burdur.
• Reasons for Settlement: The state’s primary objectives were to prevent damage to agricultural lands along migration routes, register unrecorded populations in official ledgers, and ensure regular tax collection and conscription.
• Demographic Records: Records compiled during this period included physical characteristics and ages of the resettled individuals, serving as an archival tool for identifying these communities^【3】.

The transition to sedentary life continued during the Republican era. The closure of migration routes by agricultural land expansion, cherry orchards, and dam reservoirs, along with shrinking pastures and educational demands, have led some members of the community to settle in the provinces of Mersin, Konya, and Karaman. Families who still maintain a nomadic lifestyle are the last living representatives of this historical process.

The life cycle of the Sarıkeçili Yörükleri revolves around regular seasonal migrations between “winter quarters” (kışlak) and “summer pastures” (yaylak), dictated by climatic changes.

^{Sarıkeçili Yörüğü Fatma Dilekmen Eşyaları Taşımak için Kullandıkları Develeriyle İlgilenirken} (Anadolu Ajansı)

• Summer and Winter Quarters: The community spends November to March in the mild coastal areas of Mersin’s districts of Aydıncık, Gülnar, Silifke, Anamur, and Erdemli. During summer months, they migrate to the highland pastures of Hadim (Aladağ), Seydişehir, and Beyşehir in Konya and Karaman provinces, located at elevations above approximately 1,000 meters.
• Migration Schedule and Routes: Spring migration typically begins in mid-April, while autumn migration concludes at the end of September or early October. Traditionally, a rule permitted staying no more than three nights on a village’s land without paying rent. Today, migration routes are restricted due to agricultural expansion and private property boundaries.
• Duration and Distance of Migration: Migration typically lasts between 20 and 25 days, sometimes extending to a full month. The return journey may last up to two months depending on crop and orchard conditions. The migration distance ranges from 90 to 350 kilometers.
• Transport and Logistics: Traditionally, belongings were loaded onto camels, while herds were moved on foot or horseback. Since the 1970s, economic pressures have led to widespread use of trucks and tractors. Today, a portion of the community still migrates using camels.

Family is the fundamental unit of economic production and social solidarity. Daily tasks are carried out collectively without regard to gender or age distinctions. Women actively participate in herding, milking, cheese-making, animal slaughter, and even weapon use.

The traditional tribal leadership system has weakened and been replaced by independent family groups identified by surnames and capable of making autonomous decisions.

^{Sarıkeçili Yörüklerinde Küçükbaş Hayvancılık} (Anadolu Ajansı)

The community adheres to the Hanafi-Sunni Islamic belief system. Friday and holiday prayers are typically held collectively in the nearest settlements. Traces of pre-Islamic Turkic beliefs also persist in their culture. Examples include giving birth under a sacred tree or showing reverence to ancestral spirits, reflecting a synthesis of traditions.

Beliefs such as considering Tuesday and Friday unlucky for migration, avoiding the offering of milk or eggs from the tent after noon, and viewing the extinguishing of fire with water as “the hearth dying” remain part of folk culture.

It is believed that the evil eye can harm both humans and animals; thus, children are given amulets, and young male goats are adorned with blue beads or tassels. Camels are considered auspicious, spiders are regarded as sacred and their webs are not disturbed. Weather predictions based on natural phenomena form part of their traditional knowledge system.

Births typically occur in tents, and naming ceremonies involve reciting the call to prayer into the newborn’s ear. Marriages preserve intra-tribal bonds; common customs include slaughtering a sacrifice under the bride’s feet and scattering sweets or dried fruits over children. In the past, funerals were conducted along migration routes; today, burials take place in cemeteries around Karaman and its vicinity.

^{Sarıkeçili Yörüklerinde Çadır Yaşamı} (Anadolu Ajansı)

The expansion of agricultural land and shrinking pastures have made animal husbandry increasingly difficult. Reforestation efforts by forest authorities and bans on goat grazing in certain areas restrict traditional production methods. The privatization of migration routes has occasionally led to tensions and legal conflicts between villagers and nomads.

The nomadic lifestyle hinders children’s access to consistent education, increasing the younger generation’s inclination toward sedentary life. Limited access to electricity, water, and technology strengthens the desire among young women especially to settle permanently. Rising pasture rents and increasing costs of animal husbandry undermine economic sustainability.