Turkey has taken several efforts to safeguard its intangible cultural heritage according to the 2003 UNESCO Convention. It established a legal and administrative framework including ratifying the convention in 2006, creating an ICH Commission of Experts and 81 Local ICH Boards. These bodies work to raise awareness, inventory elements, and implement safeguarding measures like publications, workshops, and regional cooperation. Turkey also recognizes Living Human Treasures and has nominated several elements for UNESCO's Representative List.

1. INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
IN TURKEY
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
General Directorate of Research and Training

2. CURRENT AND RECENT
EFFORTS TO
SAFEGUARD ICH IN TURKEY
Turkey became a State Party to the Convention
as the 45th country on 27 March 2006.
Law on Organization and Functions of Ministry
of Culture and Tourism (Law No: 4848),
Executive Body For The Implementation of The
Convention: General Directorate of Research
and Training under the authority of Ministry of
Culture and Tourism.

3. Awareness-
raising about
value of ICH
Implementing
specific
measures to
safeguard ICH
elements
Creating a
broad legal and
administrative
context
Inventorying,
identifying,
defining ICH
elements

4. Awareness-
raising about
value of ICH
Implementing
specific
measures to
safeguard ICH
elements
Creating a legal
broad and
administrative
context
Inventorying,
identifying,
defining ICH
elements

5. Enhancing existing
legislation, policies and
institutions
Creating consultative
bodies & cooperation
mechanisms involving
communities, NGOs,
other stakeholders
Establishment of ICH
Commission of
Experts
Establishment of
Local ICH Boards in
all administrative
units of Turkey
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
CONTEXT
• Ratification of 2003 convention in 2006
• Integration of the Convention into Law
on Organization and Functions of MoCT
• Draft Regulation for the national
inventory and administrative system

6. Local ICH Boards
• In cooperation with provincial directorates
of MoCT in 81 cities and representatives
from related institutions (Public Education
Center, Municipality, NGOs, and
universities) and bearers of ICH have
formed Local ICH Boards.
• Prepare and update necessary forms the
inclusion of elements in ICH National
Inventory of Turkey or Living Human
Treasures National Inventory of Turkey.
• Consists of at least 7 members including
NGOs, academicians, local
administrators, bearers and practitioners
• Reports the ICH elements inscribed on
the provincial inventory to the ICH
Commission of Experts.

7. ICH Commission of Experts
• ICH Commission of Experts under the
auspices of MoCT withdraws the
designation or selection, and deletes
an element from the national
inventory
• Evaluates the reports of Local ICH
Boards
• Consists of 7 members including
academicians expertized in ICH,
administrative representatives of ICH
• Gathered two-times per year

8. Administrative Context Diagram
ICH Commission
of Experts
General
Directorate of
Research and
Training
Permanent Representative of
UNESCO- Paris
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Local
ICH Boards
Other Institutions and
Organizations
Turkish National
Commission for UNESCO.

9. Awareness-
raising about
value of ICH
Implementing
specific
measures to
safeguard ICH
elements
Creating a
broad legal and
administrative
context
Inventorying,
identifying,
defining ICH
elements

10. In line with Local ICH Boards, ICH
Commission of Experts decides on
the inscription of elements into
national inventories
Turkey has two types of national
inventories concerning the
safeguarding of ICH:
ICH National Inventory of Turkey
Living Human Treasures National Inventory
of Turkey
INVENTORY

11. Turkish inventory system is based on;
Territorial principles, covering all
geographical parts of the country.
Bottom-up perspective with the
involvements of local communities,
local governments, universities and
NGOs.
ICH NATIONAL
INVENTORY OF TURKEY

12. 1. Deeply rooted in the
cultural tradition of Turkey
2. Transmitted from
generation to generation
through traditional ways
ICH CRITERIA OF TURKEY
FOR INVENTORYING

13. 3. Play role in promoting
cultural identification,
strengthening social cohesion,
enhancing national solidarity
and social stability
4. Face threat of disappearance
due to social transformation or
a lack of safeguarding measures.
ICH CRITERIA OF TURKEY
FOR INVENTORYING

14. LIVING HUMAN TREASURES
NATIONAL INVENTORY
Last year; 9 individuals and a
group of ICH practitioners
were identified as the bearers
of ICH and registered as Living
Human Treasures.
Living Human Treasures are
persons who possess to a high
degree the knowledge and skills
required for performing or re-
creating specific elements of the
intangible cultural heritage.
LHT Award

15. A short
documentary film
on the lives and the
works of the new
living human
treasures has been
made.
Public recognition
of the living
human treasures
is ensured via the
public ceremony.
LIVING HUMAN TREASURES
NATIONAL INVENTORY

16. 1. The excellence in the
application of the
knowledge and skills
displayed
2. The dedication of the
person or group to
his/her/their specialized
area
CRITERIA FOR LIVING
HUMAN TREASURE

17. 3. The ability of the person or
group to further develop his
knowledge and skills
4. The ability of the person or
group to pass on the
knowledge and skills to
trainees.
CRITERIA FOR LIVING
HUMAN TREASURE

18. Awareness-
raising about
value of ICH
Implementing
specific
measures to
safeguard ICH
elements
Creating a
broad legal and
administrative
context
Inventorying,
identifying,
defining ICH
elements

19. Ministry of
Culture and Tourism
Local ICH
Boards in
each city of
Turkey
ICH
Commission
of Experts
Awareness-raising about
value of ICH

20. Regional Informative Meetings
Kars /2009
Şanlıurfa /2010
Kayseri /2010
İzmir /2011
Trabzon /2012
Awareness-raising about
value of ICH

21. Awareness-
raising about
value of ICH
Implementing
specific
measures to
safeguard ICH
elements
Creating a
broad legal and
administrative
context
Inventorying,
identifying,
defining ICH
elements

22. • Boratav Folk Culture Research Library, situated in the MoCT, is a special library for folk culture researchers.
• More than 20,000 books, including periodicals.
• available to the public
• Folk Culture Documentation Center; ICH field researches, carried by folklore researchers of Directorate General
of Research and Training using preservation and archiving techniques, cover traditions, religious practices, music,
handicrafts, dress, traditional cuisine, folk dance, etc.
• successfully collected over 167.000 materials including ethnographic items, video-sound recordings, photographs,
microfilms, slides, written documents, documentaries, etc., testifying the rich ICH of Turkey.
• The outcome of research and studies is widely open to public and institutions concerned. Also some of the
ethnographic items are used for ICH exhibitions.
Implementing specific measures
to safeguard ICH elements

23. Folklore researchers have been carrying out field studies which are archived at the
Information and Documentation Center of Folk Culture and adapts the results of them
to the related publications. 46 publications (including books, CD-DVD, catalogues,
brochures etc.) and 5 documentaries have been published in 2003-2015 period.
23
PUBLICATIONS

24. DOCUMENTARIES
24
Name of Documentary : Year of Production:
Traditional Craftsmanship of Çini-making 2014
Nevruz 2014
Hıdrellez 2014
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Turkey 2014
Art of Ebru 2015

25. 25
Safeguarding
measures have been
evaluated by the
stakeholders, bearers
and NGO
representatives for
inscribed element of
Traditional Sohbet
Meetings in the
Workshop.
Afyonkarahisar- 15-17
April 2016
WORKSHOP/MEETING FOR INSCRIBED ELEMENTS

26. Regional Cooperation & Field Works
Sharing the Same Taste: Turkish and Macedonian
Common Cuisine Culture (2009)
Musical Forms and Traditional Cultures of the Peoples
Living in the Turkey-Bulgaria Border Communities
(2009)
Sharing the Same Taste: Turkey and Romania
Traditional Common Culinary Culture Project (2011)
Turkey-Kazakhstan Music Project (2012)
Women’s Role Turkish Azerbaijani Handicrafts Project
(2013)
Turkey- Hungary Common Culinary Project (2016)

27. Sharing the Same Taste: Turkey and
Romania Traditional Common Culinary
Culture Project (2011)

28. Turkey-Kazakhstan Music Project (2012)

29. Women’s Role Turkish Azerbaijani
Handicrafts Project (2013)

30. PUBLICATIONS of REGIONAL COOPERATIONS

31. Nominated elements on the
UNESCO Lists of ICH

32. Traditional Craftsmanship of Çini-
making (2016)
Flatbread making and sharing culture:
Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka (2016)
[Multi-national Nomination]
Nevruz (2016) [Enlarging Multi-national Nomination]
NOMINATIONS FOR REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF
THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

33. NOMINATIONS UNESCO LISTS FOR 2017
WHISTLED LANGUAGE (2017)
SPRING CELEBRATION:HIDRELLEZ (2017)
Macedonia &Turkey
[List of Intangible Cultural Heritage In Need of
Urgent Safeguarding]

34. THANK YOU
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Directorate General of Research and Training
INFORMATION - CONTACT:
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
Araştırma ve Eğitim Genel Müdürlüğü
İsmet İnönü Bulvarı No:32
Emek/Ankara/Türkiye
Tel: +90 312 212 83 00-2927
hasan.erkal@kulturturizm.gov.tr
http://aregem.kulturturizm.gov.tr