Abstract:

Abstract Nomadic sheepherding, a bio-economical facility of Middle Asia Turkish culture, has considerably diminished in the presence of developing and changing social and economical constituents of today.  The almost extinct migrant settler or nomadic culture in Anatolia is mostly tried to be conducted as semi-nomad or transhumance facilities. The semi-nomad, which was maintained between Eastern Anatolia Region and Southeastern Anatolia Region, considered as important movement areas for migrant settlers since especially Seljuk and Ottoman Period, still exists in platos of Diyarbakır, Sanliurfa, Mardin, Elazıg ile Bingöl ve Erzurum in small numbers.. In this study, highlands of Karlıova town of Bingöl, which have been an intensely inhabited by semi-nomads until today, are taken as the study topic.. Besides, the families who reside in Karlıova but put their animals to grass in Elaziğ, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Mardin in winter months are taken into consideration. In this study eclectic (qualitative and quantitative) method is used, and also observation and interview methods are used to gather data.  . It is stated that average 40 000-50 000 small cattle and 110-120 nomads, varying in number according to years, comes to this land from southern cities to spend the summer. The nomads experience mainly security, feed, marketing, and transportation problems and they continue to the traditional stock farming activities on these highlands, defined as the grass storages of our country. Moreover, these nomads highly contribute to organic stock farming. 

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