Dede Korkut Anlatılarında Gerontokrasi.

It is understood that the concept of "gerontocracy", which can be defined as the authority of the elderly, has effective roles in shaping social life in modern times as well as in primitive times.. In today's Turkey, traditional culture is a very valuable field of study in order to fully understand the gerontocratic assumptions that continue to exist in areas ranging from politics to bureaucracy, from the family to the business world. Based on the importance of Dede Korkut narratives in terms of reflecting the traditional culture of the Turkish society, in this article, the answer to the question of how gerontocratic forms of domination were used in the organization of the Oghuz society was sought, based on the examples in the Dresden copy of the said corpus. As a result of the findings, the elders who are powerful in the gerontocratic order in the Dede Korkut narratives; it is understood that they are characterized by common adjectives such as "koca", "ata" and "ağa", that they have a prestigious status due to their old age, that they are often seen as a control and approval authority in the functioning of social life, and that they are described as authorities whose knowledge is consulted in solving social problems. It is clear that Korkut Ata is an iconic representative of the gerontocratic form of organization in the narratives. While the prestigious place occupied by the elderly is constantly remembered through ceremonial practices that are easily performed in the flow of daily life, such as kissing hands, it is understood that the elderly are also obliged to assume responsibility in some cases regarding the position that arises from being powerful. The presence of elders, who are only passively evident in a few examples, does not overshadow the gerontocratic forms of domination that are emphasized in a loud tone when depicting the organization of the Oghuzs in the Dede Korkut narratives. The data obtained shows clearly that the source of gerontocratic tendencies in today's Turkey can be reconciled with mythology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]